Reunion with Unrequited Affection
by L Boogie
Summary: 5 years has come and gone. Now a graduate of Manchester University with her life ahead of her, Eri Sawachika is faced with a new hurdle, a class reunion. And with it, lost and forlorn feelings have arisen. What should she do? And what does she truly want?
1. The Inconvenience of Fate

L Boogie- Howdy folks. You all can call me L Boogie. Or just L, and no I'm not actually a Deathnote fan. It's simply a nickname I've developed over the years. Anyhow, I want to thank you for deciding to read my School Rumble Fanfic. It's very important to me, so I'm trying to pull out all the stops I can to make it as good as I can. I'm not Jin Kobayashi, so I'll not try to mimic his style. But I will try to do a damn good job of giving you all want you want. Something to read. Something to laugh at. And hopefully, and most importantly, something to make you smile. And if you love it, let me know. If you don't, that's cool too. Let me know, I love comments, suggestions, complements, and constructive criticism.

Legal Shenanigans - Nope. I don't own it. If I did, well…I'd probably have screwed it up somehow. But no worries, because Harima fixes everything. Anyhow, I don't own it, and I'm poor so suing me will do very little. Please spare me! Thank you Jin Kobayashi for such magnificence.

A Reunion with Unrequited Affection: A School Rumble Fan Fiction

The Inconvenience of Fate

It's been Five years.

Five years is a long time at her age.

Five years was a long time in general.

Five years since the best, and worst times of her life.

Five years since she fell in, and out of love.

Well…out is a matter of speculation…but that isn't the point.

Eri Sawachika, a young woman just past the age of twenty three, is a well known and loved socialite in the Manchester community. Gifted with grace, charm, charisma, beauty, and intelligence, most people who've met her feel that she's been a very positive force in their lives. Born as the single and only heiress to a vastly wealthy and well respected businessman and woman pair, she has had a very charmed life filled with every possible comfort and styling money could buy.

Again, she was also very talented, and so combined with her wealth she had the whole world as stage.

She was surrounded by many loving individuals as well. Her mother and father, though busy, are very caring parents whom try to keep up with their very busy daughter despite their equally busy schedules. Eri had many friends that she had made at the University of Manchester, where she received twin bachelor's degrees in Business Psychology as well as Political Science. And of course, serving her ever faithfully as always, was Nakamura the Butler. He was probably her greatest anchor as he was practically a parent to the young woman. If she ever needed something brought to her, or a task completed, or even a shoulder to cry upon, he was always there to help her through.

But she was a proud woman who rose to the top. Top of her class, Sorority, clubs, community groups, you name it, she conquered it. Truthfully though, everyone had expected that from her. After all, she was Eri Sawachika.

However, today marks a new time in her life. It will be a turning point. It will be a test of faith, of courage, and of her patience. But more so, it'll be a test of her heart.

And so we begin, here in Manchester at her Villa where she has been residing for the last five years while she attended school. It's now the summertime, middle of July roughly, and Eri was laying outside on her deck, basking in the rays of the bright beautiful sun. Eri had graduated only a month ago, but was still busy with school affairs as well as possible future business outlets. Because of this, she had decided that she was going to take the day off from her busy schedule and relax for once. It was a gorgeous day out, so it only seemed to fuel her desire to relax and enjoy it even more. If there would be a problem, Nakamura would handle it.

So the wealthy heiress sat up for just a moment to take a sip of her lemonade when the aforementioned butler stepped out onto the deck with a phone in one hand, and a small handful of letters in the second. She tipped her sunglasses back to see him more clearly while taking her headphones off to hear him the same. In his usual manner, he cleared his throat before addressing her.

" Mistress, it seems you have a telephone call from a Mister Harold Andrews. I do believe he's the young man from the Charity Ball you attended last week. " he stated.

" Very well then Nakamura. I'll take the call now."

" As you wish my lady. These also arrived for you earlier."

" Thank you Nakamura. You're free to go. Please try and take some time off for yourself today."

He nodded and gave her a respectful bow before departing. She smiled slightly, knowing that he wasn't going to take the day off, simply because no matter how many times she tells him to do so, he never seems to. But it made her happy to know he was always there for her. She took her caller off hold and placed the phone up to her ear and began to sort through the letters she had received while she conversed.

" Hello Harold, it's Eri, how are you?" she asked politely.

" Oh Miss Sawachika, I'm very happy to have gotten a hold of you. How are things going?" he asked in a tone that felt like he was trying to glad handle her. This didn't sit well with her from the onset, but she humored him as they conversed.

" They're very well. I'm just taking the day off to relax and enjoy some sun bathing. That kind of thing. " she replied, adding a slight razor in her tone in order to subtly punctuate that he was interrupting her day off. She already knew what this was about, so she wanted to try and get it taken care of as quickly as possible in order to get back to enjoying a day of nothing to do.

" Oh wow. Must be nice. I'm doing quite well myself. Just staying busy with a fundraiser for an endangered wildlife refuge… "

He continued on for a while, recounting his adventures in the world of events coordination. Really, this was simply him trying to find a way to talk to her. Unfortunately he was breaking rule number two, and that was talking WAY too much about yourself. So in return, she made the appropriate noises, responses, yes's, and such that one might normally make when you actually listen to someone going on about something you aren't actually interested in. She was more concerned about her stack of mail at the moment anyhow.

The first letter was from a pen pal she had made from back in her days of junior high. Thinking back, they had been sending letters to each other at least once a month for the last ten years. She always thought it was funny how they had never met, nor even spoken to each other over the phone, but then again, maybe it was better this way. They both could have an anonymous friend for which they could confide in. It was simply an update on a party that had been thrown for her friends father, and how she thanked Eri for sending the flowers and other party favors. Eri smiled widely, then continued onto the next letter.

This was a type of letter she got quite often. An invitation to join a party, or a banquet, or a fundraiser, or a ball, or some kind of social event. She did try to attend at least two a month, but she was already set to be above par for the month as is, so she set the letter aside so that she could write back a formal apology in declining the invitation. The letter that followed it was simply left by Nakamura's mistake, as Eri could not have cared less about the fact that she may already have been approved for a one hundred and fifty thousand dollar loan.

Finally, the last letter. It was different than the rest, and it was obvious even at a glance. It had a mix of Japanese and English text. It had been a while since she had to read or write, or even speak any Japanese, so it took her a moment to adjust. It was from Yagami High, her alma matter. Quickly, she gutted the envelope and removed the papers inside, unfolding them neatly and glancing over them. It didn't take long before her jaw fell open to gasp for air and her hand to slip and cause the phone to crash hard to the floor of the deck.

" Hello? Miss Sawachika? Are you there? Hello? " Harold replied over the phone in an inquisitive manner.

In the meantime, Eri was stunned. She had been completely blind sided by this and was not ready for what it said. For as she read it, many old memories flooded out from every nook and cranny of her mind. But not only memories, there were feelings as well. Good, wholesome, and happy feelings, as well as dark, sad, and seemingly desperate feelings. The rush of emotion was almost too much to bear, but she reined in her wild thoughts in just enough time to pick the phone back up.

" Hello? Eri? Are you still there? I haven't gotten to why I called… " Harold stated in a deflating manner.

" Sorry Harold, I'm still here. The…the phone slipped out of my hand that's all. " Eri said, doing her best to cover up and repress any changes or nuances in her voice.

" I see. That's all well and good, but I guess I should get to the reason why I called. Anyhow I thought I would invite you to that Auction for the Homeless next weekend that I've been planning. Any way I could convince you to go? I'll be there, and I've got something of my own to be auctioned off. You'll love this, for you see, I'm auctioning off a date with yours truly. So, what do you say? Can I get you R.S.V.P.'d for it? " he asked in a cool tone.

" Oh well…ummm… " Eri stammered, as she was still off kilter in regards to the letter. Of course she didn't want to go. After all, it was just him trying to get her to come to some event he had planned in order to show off and make passes at her. She glanced around for an excuse, and right there in the letter she had all the excuses she needed.

" I'm sorry Harold. It seems I'm going to be out of the country that weekend. Maybe another time. Thanks for calling Harold, hope to hear from you soon! " Eris words were hurried and slightly frantic.

Before he could get another word out, she hung up the phone and set it aside, staring at the piece of paper that had bewildered her so. With no one now to bother her, Eri finally took the time to fully read the letter and contemplate her plans.

_Dear Eri Sawachika,_

_We hope this letter finds you well and that you are making the most out of your life. As a graduate of Yagami High School, it prides us knowing that our students are out in the world making a difference, even if it would be for only one other person. Being that you are a graduate, did you know that it has already been five yearssince your graduation? That being said, you are formally invited to join the rest of your former classmates in a reunion to be held the fourth of August of this very year. We do hope to see you in attendance._

_Sincerely yours, the staff and faculty of Yagami High School._

Also included was an event catalogue, listing everything that was planned out for the celebration. After a few times of reading through, Eri set the letter down and sighed heavily, deep in contemplation. This, of course, drew the attention of Nakamura.

" Mistress, is there any way I may be of assistance to you? If that letter does depress you so, then know that I, Nakamura, shall see that it is incinerated at once, and that it's ashes shall be scattered over the coldest and most treacherous peaks in the icy tundra of Antarctica. " he stated proudly.

The heiress gave it some thought, only as to toy with the idea of testing Nakamura's loyalty. However she knew that if she had said yes, he would in fact make it a reality. But it was a nice gesture either way.

" Thank you Nakamura, however I will not need assistance with the letter. Though, if you could clear out my schedule for the week of August the fourth, and arrange for me to travel to Japan for the week, then I would be most appreciative. " she stated clearly.

Nakamura did not hesitate a moment in bowing to her and taking his leave, now busy with his newest assignment. Eri gave a wide smile at the retreating butler, however it faded some as she looked back to the letter, and then again up into the sky.

Could she really do this? And what about everyone else? It's been almost two years since she last saw anyone. But more importantly…what about him? What about Harima?

And with that, a deep blush washed over her face. It had been some time since she thought about him. Not that she didn't from time to time when she was all alone. Or even with one of her few would be suitors that had never actually seemed to ever be able to equate to the standard that was set. No…it seemed to her that so far in her life, no one had come close. Harima was truly a unique man with a unique way. A…Man's way as he might have called it. And that way was something she desired to have in her life for so long.

This started her on a long train of self introspection.

_What am I doing? Why does this feel so hard? Why…why am I acting this way? Who cares about a dumb high school reunion. It's not like I even have to go. If I wanted to get together with Mikoto, Tenma, and Akira, I could totally do it anytime I want. I don't need to wait for some stupid high school reunion. On the other hand, maybe it would be nice to catch of with Mihara and some of the others._

She took a moment to look to the clear blue sky for inspiration.

_Would anyone miss me if I just didn't come? It's not like I've thought about too many of them since graduation. Just pretty much Mikoto and the others might be affected by it. More so though, would Harima be there? It wouldn't be like him to show up at this sort of affair. He did, after all, dislike school. And it's not like too many people actually liked him. And…especially after everything he went through. His only reason for coming to school was Tenma after all._

Eri sighed for a moment, remembering all the embarrassing and now trivial misunderstandings that had occurred back in those days.

_Harima…you were a strange man. Always so rough…and rude…and callow, and a jerk, and such a grump, and…and…_

She had to exhale the breath she held as she thought of all the seemingly unkind and ventilated words that she always seemed to spew whenever she thought about him. Afterwards, she took a couple of deep breaths to clear the flush from her face, then smiled to herself and let out a slight giggle.

" He's the only guy in the world who can do that to me…jeez, that damn Hige. " she said aloud.

Looking back, she realized how much of a girl she had been about things, and how she had changed. Was it a little? Was it a lot? She decided to go see for herself, and so, stood up from where she had been lounging and put on her robe before walking back inside.

Her condo was very luxurious and spacious, not that of a typical university grad. Then again though, when could she have ever been considered typical. She made her way through the hallways in into her room. She closed the door behind her and locked it for her own privacy. After all, a girl needs her privacy…especially when she's taking her bikini off.

And so, she stood in front of a full sized mirror, wearing nothing but her dignity. Most might call it their shame, but she was damn proud of her body. She did her best to take care of her figure as well as her mind. Of course, being gifted both physically and mentally did help in this endeavor as well. However, she turned around to get a view of her backside as well, and then again at her front.

She knew she was older, and if you held a picture of her then and her now, you could tell she was older. Much more mature, and her curves had filled out a little more nicely since then. Eri knew she had nothing to hide when it came to her bust. Her measurements were very good. Still…after a few more minutes of intense examination, she stared at her image in the mirror with a waxing doubt.

_Am I enough? Do I have what he'd even want? Sure, any guy in their right mind would want this. But…he's not just any guy, that's for sure. If he were, this would be a lot easier. I…just don't think I really feel like I'm all that different._

Another moment of inspection revealed nothing new to her nearly flawless form. Still, her doubts lingered, and they were not looking to decline at all. Again, a heavy sigh followed another train of semi depressing thoughts. She grumbled to herself for a couple of moments while she began to redress, now into something she could wear both around the house and out in public, without having to resort to anything fancy.

Now, a trip downstairs and into the family room where she kept a large trunk filled with all kinds of photographs from her life. They were sorted into small boxes that were all labeled and dated for the purpose of organization. She found the boxes that were labeled with pictures of the past 5 years. She wanted to see how she had grown since then, and see if it all this warranted the effort she was putting into it.

Inside the first box were pictures from her freshmen year in Manchester. She had almost forgotten about how she had cut about eight inches off of her hair. Eri couldn't do her trademark pigtails anymore, but she could pull off a ponytail still. There were various pictures of herself and her friends from school and sorority. As she sorted through a little more, she found a picture of Grant. A blush washed over her face slightly, as she remembered her first true boyfriend.

_Oh my god. It's Grant. I can't believe I still have the picture. Sure, he was handsome, and older than me, and he seemed so sophisticated. I should have known better than to date some jock. Sure, he wasn't bad looking, but I'm lucky I passed half my classes for those two quarters from all the parties he dragged me to. Sure, a drink now and then is just fine and dandy. Hell, having too much isn't so bad as long as it's now and then and you keep your car key's elsewhere. But Christ, Grant drank enough to kill an elephant almost every night. Lord knows how he survived spring break._

Eri shook her head and set the picture back into the box, sealing it back up again and going through the next year of photographs. There were more pictures of her college friends, and then she came across a picture of another former boyfriend. She scowled at the sight, gritting her teeth slightly making a very disapproving groan.

_What was I thinking with Henry. I didn't even like his name, and somehow in my idiotic naiveté I had found it in myself to give him a chance. Again and again and again even. I hate musicians, especially starving artists. God I can't believe I loaned him that much money. Which reminds me…_

" NAKAMURA! " she shouted with a harsh irritation.

Instantly, much like a ninja, the aforementioned mysteriously showed up without a sound, and practically within an instant.

" Yes, mistress? " he stated calmly.

" Nakamura, how much more does Mr. Henry Billingsham owe the Sawachika family from all of the loans made to him? " she inquired.

" Mister Billingsham owes the very charitable Sawachika family a collective total of twenty two hundred pounds. Of which, over the past three years, he has managed to repay one hundred. At the current market exchange rate, as well as with all accrued interest involved, it seems that he will have fully paid off his debt by the year twenty one thirty seven, or precisely in one hundred and twenty nine years on the morning of April the seventh. " he stated in cadence.

Eri raised an eyebrow. She had forgotten how much Nakamura disliked the man, and was still a little surprised he had kept track of such a debt so well in his memory. She closed her eyes and nodded in approval, then dismissed Nakamura, who disappeared as quickly he showed up.

She decided that was enough of that box, and moved onto the third year of school. The very first picture reminded her of a number of things. The first was to never get too drunk with her friend Diane. The second was to make sure there were no camera's around. Eri blushed more than she had before at the pictures that were in there, as these seemed to be her more wild days of schooling. She also had become one of her sororities chairwomen members that year as well, and was very much involved in it's activities.

After a laughing at a few more photographs, she brought out the box marked for her fourth year at Manchester. Still seemed like more of the same, although she had stayed plenty busy with her sorority that year. It was in this time she learned to manage her time more effectively so that she could make the most of it. It was very critical of her to do so, considering she was getting ready to begin her internship with her fathers business, and so would have even less time. After a couple of more minutes of searching, another former flame showed up. Eri gave the picture a good look at before setting it back into the box, muttering something about hands and how they need to be kept to themselves.

And finally, the last box, covering this most recent year of her schooling. Due to her double major, it took an extra year for her to finish all of her required classes, on top of the ones that she took out of her own interests. It paid off however considering she did receive two separate diploma's in two very challenging fields. Sorting through the remaining pictures, she found an essay about what she was planning to do when she got out of college.

_When I am finished with my current level of education at Manchester University, it is my plan to graduate with honors in both the field of Political Science and Business Psychology. Upon that, I shall resign from position as Matriarch of my sorority, so as to symbolize a coming of change and how we all must continue to strive for that gold ring in life. I would love to continue to serve my fellow sisters, however I think they need someone to be there more than I will be able to._

_With that said, I then plan to start an externship in my father's company, hopefully in an area of public relations, however I will do my best no matter where I am assigned to. Upon this…_

And the paper rambled on and on about how she had set into plan a future for her own success. It was detailed, very well thought out, and was easily achievable for someone like her. But her face sank in the grim realization of reading it. That in fact she didn't write any kind of romance into her life schedule. Not a husband, a boyfriend, a child, or any kind of personal relationship at all. It was all business business business.

She pondered that thought for a moment, and at first, her usual defense of trying to play off any kind of mistake or misunderstanding kicked in and she began to rationalize it.

_Well of course you can't plan for love. It's not like you can just walk into a bar and find a life partner right then and there that you'll be happy with. It's something that has to fall out of the sky and into your lap practically. Like bumping into a stranger at a mall and getting off a friendly hello that turns into a nice cup of coffee, or like a case of mistaken identity and…and…_

And as she continued on, her thoughts began to drudge up her depression again. She had a terrible taste in guys. Or maybe it was just a matter of bad luck. In either case, this wasn't helping her now very sudden dilemma. This was serious. Even though she was a strong woman, she still wanted someone to be there for her.

And not just as a friend to give you a shoulder to cry on, but also someone to confide absolutely anything in. A friend beyond friends whom which you would go to absolutely any lengths for. Who you'd share your very mind, body and soul with, and perhaps if God wished to be cruel, even die for. Someone who would protect you and keep you warm at night. Someone who would smile at you when you gently woke them up just to tell them how much they meant to you before you left for work. Someone who would love you and care for you no matter what. Someone you could be your absolutely truest self with and have no worries about being judged.

Just someone to love, and love you in return.

For a moment, she started to tear up, and she started to slink down onto her knees and sob softly. It was too horrible a thought. And if anyone knew anything about loneliness, she did. Because of her being the sole heiress to the Sawachika family, lofty goals were set for her even before she had been born. Goals much higher than those set for more 'normal' people. Goals that she had to at least meet, less she embarrass or shame her family name. Although she continuously set the standard over and over again, there was a part of her that just wanted to quit, or to have more normal goals. Every day person goals like losing weight or saving enough money to buy that something for someone special.

She just wanted to be normal, like everyone else. Perhaps that is what she missed most about her life in Japan. But she was an adult now, and felt the noose of responsibility coiling tightly around her neck, waiting for her to slip up along the way. Truthfully, she dreaded this responsibility to her family, being a noblewoman or whatever crap that was supposed to mean. All it was in the end was a bunch of garbage cooked up to make people feel better about themselves, and to try and distance themselves from the under privileged and otherwise lower class riffraff that they so feared may be enjoying life a lot more than they themselves had been.

But she was getting older now. She was an adult. And she knew that she could never change her family heritage or the fact that she would always have more money than ninety percent of the population. Maybe she should just give in to all that pressure, after all, it would be a lot easier. She let out a more powerful sob than before, which would have alerted Nakamura, if it weren't for the fact that he was already standing outside of the room, hoping, praying that she would collect herself and be the resolute young woman that he had always known her to be.

Another moment of her seemingly unending amounts of self loathing continued, followed by a breakdown in her thought process. It was too much for her now. She couldn't do it. She should just put her past behind her and stick to the plan, with a vainglorious hope that love will just one day fall into her lap. So just as she was getting ready to make up her mind for good and not attend the class reunion, a voice inside her head said something.

It was low, and it was gruff. She couldn't hear it, and so she quieted herself for a moment, wishing that she would hear it again. Praying to hear some kind of words of encouragement from some subconscious part of her mind that still loved her despite her position in life. And in a moment of complete silence, the voice spoke once again to her.

_What are you doin' Oujo? You gonna give up just like that? Whatever. No one wants to see you anyways. I sure as hell am glad your not coming!Now I can do whatever I want and no one can stop me! Hah ha!_

A voice she remembered so well. A voice that was so clear, so honest, so real with her, it was almost scary. It was his voice. It was Harima's. And as usual, it always had a way to truly bring out the best in Eri.

She scoffed at first, then her grip on the paper tightened to the point where she wrinkled and creased it. Eri grit her teeth and even grinded them for a moment, and finally, stood from where she had been curled up on the floor.

She rushed to her room and shut the door behind her, then walked out onto her balcony which was overlooking the park. Eri looked down at the well written paper she held in her hands and remembered all the time and detail she had put into it, and how she had planned to become independently wealthy without any real need of her parents assets. But no where was there room for love in it. All those things she thought about, all those things she wanted.

_What truly was the point to life if you had no one to share it with?_

And without a second thought, she held the paper outward, and ripped it in half, letting the torn scraps fall to the ground as fast as she had rend them asunder. She looked out over the park with a renewed pride in her eyes. A pride for herself, and a pride for the life that she was going to live.

" That damn Hige. Thinks he can tell me what to do. Well I'll show him. I won't let him get out of anything else. Not until it's all settled. Not until he hears what I've got to say! " Eri stated with a renewed vigor.

And with that, she immediately began to write back to her Alma Matter, stating that she would be there and how she hoped everyone else she graduated with would as well.


	2. Melancholy Thoughts and Daring Hearts

L Boogie- Word life, it's L Boogie again. First off, if you hadn't noticed, I updated the first chapter. I suggest reading it. I didn't like how suddenly she came to that realization of self pity towards the end there, so I wrote like…ok so I wrote around another seven hundred words…or about a page, give or take. Anyhow, please read it and let me know if you think it's better. I personally like it myself. Getting on with it, welcome to chapter two. This'll be more of a background as to the events that have led up to her leaving to the University. So it's going to be some pivotal background information.

Also, I have not seen the second season. Or the quote unquote third either. So I'm just making it up as I go along. But it won't matter much I believe since it will take place in their third year and some time after just after graduation.

Also, I'll do a little bit of responses. First off, thank you for the reviews. I don't openly admit this much, but I love them. I check back five times a day it seems to see if I got another review. Just thought I'd get that out of the way. As for what this piece of fiction holds, it will be five chapters instead of my original plan for four…which I was ORIGINALLY gonna make this a one shot. Hell, it may go six depending what I decide, but I think five will be the magic number here.

Love obstacles? Hmmm…like…Yakumo? Well…expect to see pieces of the past over the remaining chapters, but I don't actually have plans for any of Harimas love triangles come into play. Tenma will be in this though, but again, I may change my mind and write something in. I guess we'll see.

Also, this is will be more serious than funny, but I don't plan to leave it without either, so I hope you all enjoy what I've created.

Hey, if there are things people like to see, then let me know. I'll see what I can do. I like input after all.

Also, for big fans of Yakumo, I believe my next writing project will feature her, but that's probably not going to be for about a month, likely…

On a final note, since most of my work is done at night, especially posting...could you guys keep an eye out for any irregularities in font, grammar, and anything else for me? I do what I can to scour for whatever my spell check doesn't catch, and when I transfer it to the site, it likes to underline everything for some odd reason...so just let me know if something looks weird.

Wow, this seems like a lot for an Authors note. So lets get to this. L Boogie out!

Legal Shenanigans - Nope. I don't own it. If I did, well…I'd probably have screwed it up somehow. But no worries, because Harima fixes everything. Anyhow, I don't own it, and I'm poor so suing me will do very little. Please spare me! Thank you Jin Kobayashi for such magnificence.

A Reunion with Unrequited Affection: A School Rumble Fan Fiction

Melancholy Thoughts and Daring Hearts

It was early. Actually, it was very early. She took in a deep breath and let out a very punctuated yawn. Not that it mattered, as she would just sleep on the plane ride, however Eri Sawachika sat impatiently on a small bench by herself, awaiting for her flight to arrive. Nakamura had arranged her a flight out to Japan on a round trip first class ticket. Of course, it wasn't cheap, but price was never an issue for a Sawachika.

Tiredly, she stared at the clock on the wall, holding a lukewarm cup of coffee and a half eaten bagel. It read three fifteen in the wee hours of the morning. Again, she yawned, then grumbled something to herself about how no one in their right minds should ever get up at such an ungodly hour of the morning. She yawned again for a third time in this story, but in truth, she had lost count over a half an hour ago.

Eri cursed herself for dismissing Nakamura, because if he was around, she could just pass into an all encompassing and welcoming coma. However, she was insistent that he take some time off for himself since she was going to be out of the country for over a week. Another glace at the clock and she realized it had only been three minutes since her previous glance. She had a half an hour to go before the flight was ready to depart, and she started to see other people start filling in around her. She took a bite of her bagel and downed another swig of the awful mess in her cup that they served under the pretense of coffee to try and wake her up.

Yet again, she yawned. Sending out a desperate prayer, she pleaded with the cosmos itself to give Time a kick in the pants. It didn't have to be much, hell, five minutes would have been fine. She glanced at the clock and it read three seventeen. She scowled at it, and cursed the cosmos for the tricks it played on her ever so consistently. A heavy sigh followed the thought of how this whole thing couldn't get any worse.

Oh how the cosmos loved to pick on Eri Sawachika.

In the midst of a yawn, she caught the image of a man in her peripheral vision. He was standing about twenty feet away and wore a grey business suit. She took another drink of her so called coffee and used it to disguise her monitoring him, as she got the feeling that he was looking to make a pass at her.

_God…why do you hate me so much_?

She prepared herself to have to come into contact with the man, thus she drew up a battle strategy and tactics to use. He began make his way towards her, and so, she readied herself for war. He sat next to her on the bench and set his briefcase down in between his calves. The first plan was to avoid making any contact with him.

_I'm in no mood for this…_

He checked his watch, then glanced around. The man was trying to make some kind of eye contact, however she knew this game well and gave him no openings. He was quick on the rebound however and took sight of her breakfast.

" Wow, that looks good. Whatcha eatin?" he asked. She grumbled, to herself, realizing that she should have just gotten up and thrown away her meal. It's not like she had any kind of attachment to it anyhow. Hell, it was awful and that was that. It'd have probably been worth it to not have gotten it in the first place. Finally, she gave in and talked to him.

" A bagel and some coffee. Just something to keep me awake until we can board the plane. " she said flatly, hoping that her uninterested and very tired tone would give him the hint that he needed to take a hike or at least leave her alone.

" Oh, well it looks pretty good. I just had some oatmeal and orange juice. I like to start my day healthy before I work out. It's always good to do that in the morning, cause you know, it does a body good. " he stated with a smile and a slight leer.

_Milk does a body good you dummy, and you don't do me any good. Jeez…strike one…_

She kept quiet hoping to kill the conversation with silence, but that route wasn't working.

" So, you heading to Japan too? Going for business or pleasure? I hope to do both! Heh heh heh! "

Her expression went even flatter than her tone had been. A vein in her forehead started to beat slowly and her eye twitched ever so slightly. She glanced up at the clock for some kind of hope, but it was only three thirty. Still another fifteen minutes of this torture. It was time to upgrade her defensive parameters to level two. She finally turned towards him and gave him an uninterested look, but a look none the less.

" Wow, you're really pretty. What's your name? I'm Lieutenant Chase Saunders, with the military. I'm a defense contractor, and I'm heading to Japan on a business trip to see what kind of deals we can set up with the local Japanese police chapters. " he proclaimed.

She blinked. Once. Twice. Then yawned. Glanced at the clock, then responded finally.

" I'm Eri Sawachika, and I'm just meeting some old classmates. " she said without enthusiasm.

" Well, it's definitely my pleasure to meet you Eri. " he said, extending a hand.

" I'm sure it is MISTER Saunders. " she said.

He briefly made a face at how inhospitable she was being. Still, he was a stubborn one.

" S…so where is your destination? Maybe we'll be travel buddies! This could be like fate, you know? " he exclaimed, attaching a sliver of romanticism into his voice.

" I'm not really sure. My friends will pick me up and take me to where I need to go… "

" Oh? So you got a bunch of cute girlfriends huh? Man, I'd just love to hang out with you girls… " he said jokingly, but only halfway.

_Strike two jerk face…time to step it up just a little bit more…_

Eri took out her phone and began fiddling with it in a mock display of texting friends.

" So talking to your friends now? That's pretty cool. Any chance I could get to meet them Eri? " he asked.

She hated him using her first name so informally. Like he knew anything about her. She wished that the rest of the world would learn a little something from the Japanese along the lines of respect. The blond girl scoffed and gave a smirk.

" No way. Not gonna happen. " Eri stated with a strong, barbed wire tone.

She glanced over at him, hoping that he was finally defeated, and began to give herself a little victory smile. However, just before she could celebrate, he turned to her and leaned in very closely, setting a hand on her lower thigh.

" I guess I just wanna say that I think you're really very pretty. Maybe we could hook up when we're done with our business on the trip. I'm a pretty fun guy! I got money too, so I can buy you whatever your heart desires! What do ya say?_" _he asked, in a forward and flaunting pitch.

Again, a blink. And then a second. Finally, she glanced down to see that his hand was still draped on her leg. And with that she stood up, activating her final, and surefire antipick up weapon…her wrath.

" WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING? GET YOU HAND OFF MY LEG YOU PIG! LOOK, IF YOU HAVEN'T PICKED UP ON IT YET, I'M NOT BLOODY INTERESTED! GOD, IT'S LIKE A QUARTER TO FOUR IN THE MORNING? DON'T LOSERS LIKE YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF DECENCY OR MORAL CODE ABOUT MAKING PASSES BEFORE SEVEN A.M.? AND JEEZ DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO DAMN CREEPY? YOU THINK MY BREAKFAST LOOKS GOOD? THEN EAT IT! I LOST MY APPITITE A LONG TIME AGO! "

And with that, Eri took her bagel from out of the little bag she kept it in and forcibly shoved it into Chases mouth, knocking him out of the seat and onto the floor. As she stood up, she grabbed her bag and gave him a very hard scowl, before taking off towards the boarding dock, considering the plane was FINALLY ready. He looked at her with a mix of confusion and fear, never having ever been so utterly defeated in his life.

A few minutes of standing in line and having her carry on checked and sure enough, she was good to go! A flight attendant escorted her to her seat in first class, where she got to sit in a seat all by herself, with a comfortable reclining chair and a place to set her iPod. After receiving a bottle of water in which she could wash away the flavor of the terrible coffee that she had drank before getting on board, she settled back into her chair, put on her head phones, and drifted off into a deep and welcome slumber.

It was in this time, Eri began to dream. Of course, most people had dreams. They have a tendency to reflect things that are current or ongoing in your life, whether they be an event or simply a feeling. Sometimes they're vivid and realistic, and sometimes they're completely out of this world. But then, sometimes…they're simply a memory, brought back to life for you to relive. This can be good and bad, as we humans have both good and bad memories. Good and bad feelings. Good, and bad, emotions.

As Eri drifted off, she eventually found herself back in Japan. Back where her life really began. Where her best friends, fondest memories, and truest loves, resided.

She was standing on a street corner, checking her watch over and over again. She tapped her foot up and down waiting for her friends to arrive. She was dressed in a pair of cream colored Capri's and a pink halter top that had a beautiful necklace to accent it. Her hair was styled in her trade mark fashion, and she had dolled herself up with make up. But never too much, for she knew she was an attractive girl, so only used it for highlighting. None the less, she could easily be called smashing. And of course, she became the object to many people's affection. Thankfully, she knew what to expect from the guys around here. After all, she was going clubbing.

She the time again, then scowled and made a phone call. As she did, she heard a cell phone ring near by. Sure enough, it was answered by an all too happy Tenma, who sounded a little lost.

" Eri! I'm glad you called! I can't find you anywhere. There's a lot of people around here!" the half witted girl exclaimed.

Eri sighed heavily, wondering if it was a good thing that Tenma was going to a club. She turned around and saw the young woman standing beside her boyfriend, the exceptionally average in appearance however voted most likely to be a weirdo from another planet, Oji Karasuma. This puzzled her, as Akira and Mikoto were no where to be seen.

" Tenma! I'm right here you goof ball. What happened to Mikoto and Akira? Didn't you tell them to come?" Eri asked in a semi annoyed manner.

" Well, Mikoto said she wasn't comfortable with it, and Akira said she had other plans. I asked Yakumo, but she said she doesn't like really crowded and loud places." she explained.

" So why did Karasuma come? Is he jealous?" she jabbed, in a friendly tone.

" No silly. Oji is a great dancer!" Tenma proclaimed as she often did when it came to Karasuma.

" Jeez. Now I feel like a third wheel. Oh well, we better get going…" Eri said, a little frustrated.

The trio pushed through a small crowd of people to get inside. Once all together and intact, they found a safe place to put their belongings, and began to fan out. It wasn't long before Tenma got swept away in the crowd. Eri looked back to see her washed deeper into the mess before she disappeared from sight.

" Well that's par for course…" she said with a faint giggle.

She left Tenma to her fate at the hands of a ocean of people, knowing full well that Tenma would be just fine. After all, if there was one thing Tenma could do, she knew how to shake her groove thang without a care.

Eri moved about the dance floor like a natural. She was graceful and sharp, her movements being seamless and elegant…in a clubby sort of way. Of course, she danced with guys from time to time, and then sometimes she just danced in the crowd, coming and going as she pleased. Eventually, she came to a clearing, where she saw the spotlight brought down two individuals, one being Karasuma, who was in a dance battle. His opponent threw a few different steps out, did some typical popping, and otherwise was mediocre at best. In response, Karasuma dropped all the way down to the floor and did a worm, then flipped around and hopped back up to his feet in a single fluid movement. After that, he began doing the running man while in place, and finished it off with a typewriter going both to the left and right, and ending in a rear somersault where he landed on his head and did a spin move into a brilliant and flawless lay out position.

This should have surprised Eri, but Karasuma was known to be a strange man of many tastes, hobbies, and skills. She smiled and hoped Tenma could see this, considering this was her boyfriend who was kicking this other guys ass as far as the dance off should be concerned. Soon though, Eri continued back into her pace of dancing wherever, however, and with whoever she pleased. She felt a little lonely though, without the others. This was supposed to be a celebration. Exams were over and now they had only a few days of school left before graduation. There was that, and of course, there was the fact that somehow she ended up as a third wheel.

She would have never really thought it would happen to her, and seeing Karasuma and Tenma together, while it made her happy, also made her a bit lonely.

Though she would disagree openly with anyone who brought it up, but she carried a torch for Harima still. Amazingly he had made it through school. Even with everything that happened with the both of them, Tenma, her friends, Yakumo, they were all still together in some odd fashion. It was revealed some time earlier this year to everyone but Tenma that Harima in fact was in love with her. And it wasn't that Tenma was the only one who didn't find out. It's more like she was the only one who just didn't get it.

She was a lucky girl though. Karasuma stayed in Japan just to be with her. There was talk of them going out to America to stay with his parents and go to college over there. That was the rumor, anyhow. Eri could never get a straight answer out of Tenma, because every time she would ask, Tenma would get all flustered and just babble on and on about all manner of lovey-dovey things. Still, Harima had made his love for her known. Seems she didn't feel the same way, and you could tell he knew…or had already known for some time.

Still, he managed to put on at least his typical scowl. So he had either accepted it, or was good at hiding it. Either way, she had wanted to know for quite some time. But before she could do that, she had some of her own feelings to sort out. Finally though, she huffed and cleared the concern from her face. Right now, all she wanted to do was to have some harmless fun. However…that wasn't likely to happen, as some unknown man crept up behind her and began dancing against her. She stepped away and moved a few feet from where he was, hoping he would get the message and leave her alone. This one, however, was a little more stubborn. After a moment of peace, she felt his body press up against her backside, and an arm wrap around with a firmly placed hand on her lower stomach. She turned around quickly and gave him strong shove.

" Back off swine!" she shouted, just barely audible over the loud and pounding music. The man grinned widely and took a step in her direction.

" Sorry baby doll. But you're too good looking…" he said in an attempt to flatter her.

She turned her back to him and walked over to the bar, where she got a drink. Just a soda, since she didn't feel like anything hard. She was old enough, that wasn't an issue, it was actually more along the lines of that she didn't have anyone who would enjoy a drink with her. Or rather, no one was around that she would want to share a drink with. Just as the bartender handed her the drink, that same man came back around again, giving a hard smack onto Eri's rear. On instinct, she turned around and slapped him in the face, then gave him a second shove in an attempt to create a barrier.

" WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM YOU JERK! I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING, BUT LET ME TELL YOU WHAT IS GONNA HAPPEN! YOU EITHER GET OFF RIGHT NOW WHILE YOUR STILL CLASSIFIED AS A MAN BY GENDER OR I'LL GIVE YOU A FREE SEX CHANGE HERE AND NOW YOU GOD DAMN LOSER!" she shouted loud enough for everyone in the area to hear.

He stepped up and grabbed her arm as she tried to slap him again. Jerking violently on it, he pulled her close, forcing her to let out a pain filled gasp. Quickly, the bartender gave a wave while no one was looking, for security. The stranger brought Eri close and pinned her back against the bar.

" That's no way to act. At least while we got clothes on babe…" he spoke in a terrifying voice.

A horrible thought raced through her head and she began to struggle, but with her arm twisted and injured, she didn't have the ability to break free. A crowd cleared around them as no one seemed to be brave enough to stand up for her, and she pleaded with her eyes for someone to do something.

" HEY ASSHOLE, LET THE LADY GO! YOU WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEONE, THEN YOU CAN DANCE WITH ME!" shouted a very irate and powerful voice.

Eri dropped to the ground as the man let go of her and pushed her off in preparation to defend himself. She looked up and was filled with a wide range of mixed emotions as the man who came to her rescue was none other than Harima.

_Oh my god! It's Harima! Thank God…_

What she watched after that would be one of her favorite moments in all of her life. A moment which very few women get to experience, a knight in shining armor at her rescue.

Of course, this Knight was a little unusual, but she was definitely not going to argue.

Harima stood before the man, and was easily taller than him by six inches. Whether because he was cocky,

drunk, stupid, or any combination of the previous, he was none the less undaunted in trying to take Harima on.

" You think you can take me on? I ain't afraid of you!" the man stated, defiantly.

" You better step off pal, or your gonna be leaving in a body bag…" Harima said threateningly.

The man didn't want to exchange any more insults and took a swing at Harima. Side stepping the pathetically telegraphed attack, Harima countered with a solid fist to his upper stomach, right underneath the ribcage. True, Harima was no expert of anatomy, but he's been in enough fights to know where to hit people to make it hurt, and that was one.

The man fell to his knees at the overwhelming power that he was assaulted with. Harima knelt down and in a low and dangerous tone, he spoke.

" Is that all you got? That's unforunate, I didn't even get to use my signature Hurricane kick on you. It's a such a shame since it's a real KILLER…" he spoke eerily.

The man coughed as he tried to force himself to breath, but Harima was quick to grab him by the collar of his shirt and drag him across the floor of the bar, and towards the rear exit of the club. Eri watched in excitement and resisted the urge to cheer her protector on. With the battle quickly over in a single move on Harima's part, she followed on behind him as he drug the man out the door and tossed him limply into a group of trashcans.

" Now beat it. And consider yourself lucky. If I didn't step in, I can guarantee you she'd see to it that you were leaving in an ambulance…" Harima snarled.

Afterwards, he slammed the back door shut and turned to Eri, who was somewhat awash with blush as she looked up to her protector. He was clean cut, wore a solid black t-shirt that read SECURITY in English, and wore a solid black bandanna along his trademark shades. He leaned over and took her arm gently into his hand, examining it softly.

" Are you alright, Oujo?" he asked softly.

She was so red now with embarrassment and delight, she couldn't quite answer him at first. He glanced up to make sure she was alright, and when their eyes met, she turned sharply on her heel, jerking away from him.

_Oh…yeah. My arm hurts a lot, but I'm alright now…thanks you you, Harima…_

" I'm just fine Hige." she said.

" Okay, whatever." he said nonchalantly.

Things were happening so fast for her, she didn't even know what to think. He looked at her for a moment, then turned around and began to leave.

_No, wait Harima…I…why did I say that? What in the hell is wrong with me…_

Eri took a deep breath. She knew what she wanted to say, but felt like it was way to hard to do, she was going to force something out. Anything at this point, as the further he got, the less likely he would hear her.

" Wait Harima…why don't we like…you know…talk…" she said, her tone deflating and more exasperated

the longer the sentence ran.

She looked down at her feet as Harima wandered back over to her. She was in some shock that he actually listened to her, and let a small but sweet smile creep across her lips. Harima appeared to be a little confused at how she was behaving, but didn't heed it much more thought.

" So? What's up Oujo?" he asked.

" W…well I wanted to thank you Harima…for coming to my rescue…" she said, doing her best to hide the embarrassed, meek, and semi joyous look on her face with her bangs.

" Oh, it's cool. I've been aching for a fight for a while now, so it helped with getting rid of some frustration." he said, " So is your arm alright?"

" It hurts actually. He jerked it really hard…" she said, her confidence, pride, and feelings all warring within her small body.

" May I see it? I'm no doctor, but I know injuries pretty well. I've had quite a few myself." he said half jokingly.

She raised her arm up and craned the elbow as best she could before it a pain shot through her body, causing her to flinch hard. With one hand, he supported her frail limb, and with the other he touched it gently, running his rugged hands along her delicate skin. Despite the pain she was feeling, a wave of euphoria and relief rushed over her every fiber, causing her to lose her balance for just a moment. Thankfully, he caught her, and held her up with a shocking display of delicacy, as he was very strong and easily could have injured her further in doing that. A dark crimson now stained her whole face, almost to the point of it glowing.

" Look, Eri, if you're not feeling good, we can take you to the hospital…" he said gingerly.

" N…no, I'm alright, I swear…I just need to sit down, and maybe a drink of water…" she asked with a sigh.

" No problem. Just wait here and I'll be right back." he said, leading her to an empty table with a couple chairs.

The young blond sat down and leaned back against the chair, sighing. Her night was taking a turn for the better, but now what should she do? She needed a plan! She needed something to keep his attention, or…anything! Fighting with herself over what she should do, she failed to realize when Harima had come back with a bottled water. Eri froze in some kind of fear as she believed herself to be looking absolutely ridiculous. Harima set the drink down on the table in front of her and nodded to her.

" Here. I hope this helps." he said.

She took a drink of the water, then wiped her mouth with a handkerchief. Afterwards, she gave him a polite bow from her seated position.

" Thanks Hige. So…what are you doing here? Are you a bouncer?" she asked.

" Pretty much. I'm eighteen now, so Itoko kicked me out of her apartment and I had to get a job to support myself. It pays pretty well since the only thing I'm really good at is fighting and drawing apparently." Harima responded, now sitting across the table from her.

" Drawing? Oh that's right. You were working on that Manga…how is it going?" Eri asked.

" I finished it. Turned out to be fairly successful. It's helped me out so far, but I want a more steady income so I don't waste my earnings…" he explained carefully.

_Wow…Harima sure has changed. I would never have thought of him as ever being responsible…_

" That's pretty impressive Hige…" she said with a wider smile. He leaned back and returned the grin ever so slightly.

" Gotta grow up some day I guess. Speaking of…I gotta get back to work Oujo. See ya around." he said, getting up and walking away.

_No…not yet…not…_

" WAIT!" she cried out.

He stopped in his tracks and turned to look back at her.

" What's up now?" he asked, back again in his nonchalant tone.

" When…do you…you know…get off work?" she asked, meekly.

He took his cell phone out of his pocket to check the time.

" I got about two hours. What's going on?" he asked.

" Well…" she stammered, trying to get the words to come out.

He leaned forward and turned his ear more towards her, unsure if he was being hard of hearing or whatnot. Eri blushed brightly and began to fidget around, as she scolded herself in her own mind for being weak.

_Just say it! JUST SAY IT DAMN IT! SAY IT SAY IT SAY IT SAY IT SAY IT SAY…_

" WOULD YOU WANT TO GET COFFEE WITH ME AFTER YOU GET OFF?" she said loudly.

Harima raised an eyebrow at the request, and was slow to respond, giving her plenty of time to hate on herself silently.

_Good job you half wit blond dummy. He might not have heard you over the deafening roar of you being an idiot…_

She began to sulk, expecting herself a verbal notice of rejection.

" Sure, that's cool. I could use a bite to eat anyways…" he answered.

And everything suddenly came to a halt. For just one moment, even just that one moment, time stopped. Her heart fluttered, her mind soared, and she felt a tingle all over her body. She got up, finally feeling well enough to stand, and trotted to where he stood. As the pair made their way back towards the central area of the club through the hallway, a familiar face managed to turn down the unsuspecting hallway as if by fate, and immediately the three recognized each other.

" Oh there you are Eri. And…hey Harima! I didn't know you were here!" Tenma called out.

…

The trio stared at each other for just a moment in complete silence.

…

Finally, Harima began to open his mouth. And just before the words came out…

And with a sudden jolt, the sleeping heiress had been woken up by some turbulence. Her sharp eyes darted around the plane for a moment, until she had fully realized that she had just been sleeping. That dream had been one of her last few memories of Harima. Maybe it was a sign, or maybe it was just stress. Either way, she was kinda pissed at the way it had ended.

_Dear life…I hate you.  
_

With that thought now passed, she took a blanket from out of her carry on bag and covered herself up with it, hoping that her next dream would give her a little more closure.


	3. A Lifetime Left Behind

L Boogie- Well you'll probably hate me by the end of this chapter but that's okay, cause hopefully it'll mean you'll come back for some more. That last one went pretty well and I think after a dozen or so checks through this, I'm comfortable with this one as well. Don't worry guys, you'll start seeing some resolution soon. Actually…very soon. Cause the next chapter will be the reunion…assuming I don't get other ideas. Either way I do believe that you will benefit in the end.

So I hope you all enjoy this next chapter. As usual, any comments, problems, suggestions, etc, let me know. Also I'd like to get the School Rumble Forums active. I wanted to discuss my next two projects and get some input. Any help with this will be very much appreciated.

Legal Shenanigans - Nope. I don't own it. If I did, well…I'd probably have screwed it up somehow. But no worries, because Harima fixes everything. Anyhow, I don't own it, and I'm poor so suing me will do very little. Please spare me! Thank you Jin Kobayashi for such magnificence.

A Reunion with Unrequited Affection: A School Rumble Fan Fiction

A Lifetime Left Behind

The hustle and bustle of the city streets were a welcome sight to the young heiress. After a very long flight filled with a variety of memories and all too fantastic or embarrassing dreams, she was finally back in Japan. Her first mission was a simple one. Get food, get home, and crash for the evening. It wasn't the most romantic of plans, nor was it at all exciting, however a nice hot shower and a soft warm pillow to lay her head on seemed almost all too enticing. Since it was the late afternoon, the markets and restaurants were still open, so she still could get something to eat.

Upon leaving the airport, her phone chimed, signaling that she had received a text message. Taking her phone from her pocket, she inspected the message to find out it was from Akira, which raised Eri's mood almost infinitely. It was very short and concise in Akira's usual fashion.

_Welcome back to Japan._

Eri shrugged off wondering how Akira had known she just arrived, knowing that Akira probably had already known she would come out. She was a scary woman, one even Eri wouldn't dare to cross or go up against. Now that the Airport was behind her, she hailed a taxi to take her to the train station, where she would enjoy a relaxing train ride back into the town she remembered so well. It donned on her shortly thereafter that she might bump into someone she remembered, and so crossed her fingers, hoping to see a certain someone.

_Yeah right. Cause God just absolutely loves me…_

Sighing heavily, she sat back in her seat with her head rolled as far back as would be allowed. Eri watched the scenery change from inside the comforts of the air conditioned vehicle. It was only ten minutes to the train station, so she didn't really get much of a chance to let her mind wander. Once there, she was fortunate enough to catch the train while it was still loading passengers. Lugging her two large suitcases behind her, she was able to get on the train with little difficulty. However, once again, her luck was about to fall short.

As the last few minutes of the boarding passed, Eri felt a little uncomfortable, standing in the crowd, hanging on to both her luggage and her purse. Of course…these weren't the articles that she really had to worry about. Once the train began to leave the station, the blond darted her eyes about, seeing if there were any recognizable faces among her. She had figured there would be, since this is pretty much the time of day everyone got off work and when the trains were filled. Her stop would come up in around fifteen minutes, so she quietly tried to wait it out. Again, her cell phone chimed signaling that she had received a text message, and just as she reached into her purse to check it, she felt something.

Well…not just something, but someone. Rather, someone's hand…and it was slowly caressing it's way up her thigh. Her face slowly began to change colors, from her typically moderate Caucasian tone all the way to a beet red shade of anger. Immediately she dropped her purse in favor of catching the perpetrator before he had gotten his hand any further up her skirt. In a single quick action, she swooped her hand along her backside, not really bothering with anyone around her she may have nudged or elbowed along the way. When she encountered a hand that was too close for comfort, she instinctively wrapped her fingers around any part of it that could be grasped and she held on tightly. It's owner, realizing he had been caught, let out a quick gasp, and pulled hard to retrieve his hand back to safety.

However, fortunately for Eri, and not so much for himself, she had a tight grip on his ring finger. And while he did retrieve his hand back to his side, he also pulled an actively pissed blond haired heiress whom which was known to be a very skilled Kendo practitioner. First off, having refused to release her frail hostage, she returned the strong pull she had received from her assailant in the form of a very strong, though not grotesque, tug on his finger, dislocating it. Letting out an already defeated cry, the man tried to escape the woman's wrath, whom which was unfinished dishing out the appropriate punishment for molesting her. With a quick grab, she caught his other wrist while it flailed and twisted it appropriately and gave it a strong jerk, enough to hurt him and get him to turn and face her. With one final Coup de Grace, she landed a sound knee into the man's groin, dropping him to the ground in front of her.

She scolded him loudly, using language she had never really used much before now. While he was on his knees in a prostrated position, begging for his life, she took to giving him soft kicks in the head, just like she had seen Harima do to people that had crossed him time and time again. Once done abusing, emasculating, and otherwise giving him reasons to go kill himself, she looked around and noticed everyone in the train car had cleared away from her. She glared at the lack of help she seemed to commonly receive and stood quietly in the center of the human clearing, keeping her killing aura up as a forewarning to any would be perverts or thieves.

Fortunately she only had to keep that up for a few more minutes as her train pulled into the station. She was the first one off, followed from a distance by a number of other people whom were wary of the scary female. Dragging her luggage behind her, and muttering to herself about how much she hated men, she almost forgot exactly where she was. With a quick familiarizing with her surroundings, she realized she was right beside a book store. She stopped for a moment, then realized it was the one that Akira had been working at. Immediately she rushed inside, hoping to see her very good friend. To her disappointment, the person at the counter was definitely not Akira, but was a large framed man who wore glasses. Eri's expression melted away upon seeing this, and she began to turn and leave until he spoke to her.

" Excuse me miss," he said in a very nerdy tone, " but is there anything you're looking for?"

" Oh…well…I guess I do have a question…" she said in an awkwardly questioning tone.

She approached the counter, rolling her suitcases behind her, finally setting her purse up on the counter to keep an eye on it.

" So what can I do for you miss? I'll do whatever I can to help!" he stated with a smile.

" Does Akira…er…I mean, Takano work here?" she asked.

" Takano? Oh, you know the boss?" he asked in surprise.

" Sort of. We're old classmates and I thought I'd see if she was still just working here part time." Eri answered.

" Part time? You mean the boss used to work here part time? That can't be right. The boss practically lives here. I guess maybe when she was younger though. I don't know myself. I've only been here for a couple of months…" he answered in kind.

" You keep calling her boss. Does that mean she was promoted?" Eri asked again, now with more enthusiasm.

" I guess. But she's the big boss around here. Anyone who questions her rule disappears. I hear they aren't just fired, but who knows I suppose ." he continued, sounding a little creepy.

" Oh well I suppose. Thanks anyways… " she said, turning around leaving for the exit.

" Oh wait a second miss…what's your name? " he called out before she could reach the door.

" Sawachika. " she said in a single breath.

" Sawachika? Wait a second…why does that sound familiar… " he said, starting to poke around the desk.

As Eri began to walk back to the counter, interested as to why the young man knew her name at all, he opened a desk drawer and found a small bag with a tag on it. Pulling it out, he investigated the name on the tag and set it on the counter in front of her.

" Here miss Sawachika. It seems that the Boss had this set aside for you. " he stated, pushing the article towards her.

" Oh…thanks." she said meekly, unsure of what this was.

" Anytime. Oh, and please come again! " he stated happily in cadence.

She wandered back out of the bookstore, now lugging a small bag on top of her two suitcases. Deciding that she was getting even hungrier, Eri rushed to the nearest restaurant that would be on her way home. Of course, this would happen to be none other than the WAS Burger. Walking inside, she saw that there was no wait, and began to approach the counter, until she was stopped in a moment of nostalgia. Seeing a ghostly image of Karen and Lala standing at the counter with opposite expressions on their faces, taking orders and terrifying customers.

Eri stood staring for just a moment, then shook her head breaking the feeling that had come over her. She approached the counter, placed her order, and after paying, received it in a timely manner. After leaving, it was only a brisk ten minute walk to her home, all the while dragging her luggage, gifts, and food. As soon as she reached the gate, Nakamura greeted her and helped her get settled in.

_How…did…Nakamura…_

Putting that thought aside, she simply decided to have her bags brought up to her room, where she asked to be left undisturbed, finally getting a chance to rest on top of the bed, eating her WAS Burger meal.

_I don't care if this isn't good for me. It just beats that awful coffee and bagel I had. And I'm starving, so that makes it fine._

After justifying her unhealthy purchase, she headed for the shower. Since this was her room, there was a large and spacious bathroom, where she had all of her hair and body care products scattered about. Soon, she stripped down to nothing and stepped into the shower stall, enjoying a lengthy and almost scalding hot shower. Once finished, she stared at her bright red form in the mirror, snickering softly. Afterwards, she applied her various lotions and oils as she typically would after her evening shower. Finally, ready for bed, she sat down on the mattress and pulled the comforter up around her while she inspected the contents of the bag that she was given by Akira. It was books, of course.

But not just any book. These were Harima's manga's that he had published. There were three in total, and from what she could tell from the cover, they were all apart of a single encompassing story.

_Wow. He really did get them published. That's pretty amazing Harima._

She opened the first volume, and started reading through it. In only a half an hour, she finished and picked up the second one, and when that was done, the third. Breezing through the three books in under two hours, she took a moment to reflect on the story. Afterwards, she went back through them again, only this time in a much speedier time of forty five minutes. As she was rereading, she dog eared the pages to certain scenes that seemed to have a certain familiarity to them. Finally, after that second time through, she started going back and rereading all the marked sections, investigating them and trying to figure out why they seemed so familiar. And suddenly, it hit her…this whole thing was a fantastic retelling of his high school career.

The story followed a young man by the name of Genji Hamira who happened to look, act, and be named like Kenji Harima. He was hopelessly in love with a young girl named Tenra Tsukimoro, who seemed to never notice his advances despite his obviousness. Time and time again, he was also tested by life to protect Tenra and her friends from a variety of harm. They had…an interesting relationship that eventually blossomed by the end of the first book.

The second book followed their exploits as a couple through the trails and tribulations of high school life. Of course, as the book continued, the character Tenra began to fall for another boy, Uji Kamasura, until it's climax half way through the third volume where they finally broke up. Afterwards, Hamira wandered aimlessly through life, until he realizes at the end that nobody get's it right the first time, and that love can be found anywhere. This is defined by Hamira becoming closer to his friend Airie, a young woman who may be the direct opposite to the love struck delinquent, and has always been there for him despite any and all their arguing and indifferences.

After finishing, she was actually moved by his work. It wasn't grandiose by any means, nor was it a work of art…it was just simply a good read for anyone who has felt the trials and tribulations of love. After a couple more minutes of inspecting, she took to the characters that were involved and finally pieced it all together.

Of course, Hamira was Harima, and Tenra was Tenma. Uji Kamasura was Oji Karasuma. Mikoto, Akira, Hanai, Yakumo…they were all there as well. More shocking to this reader was that she was there. Partially in name, partially in appearance, but almost completely in spirit. Eri had fully realized this when, in the third volume, after which the couple had broken up, their class was performing in the Sports Festival. After Hamira had saved a small kitten from a burning building and lost a lot of his hair to the fire in the previous chapter, he was too embarrassed to show his bald head around school, fearing he would not be accepted.

And how that he worked hard during the Cavalry Battle to take down the biggest and baddest team.

Or, how after his friend and team partner Airie was hurt trying to save his cap from being knocked off to try and save his pride at the cost of her being able to race. So he decided to make a promise to her that he would enter and win the Men's Relay for her sake, where he was the anchor and pulled out an all or nothing come from behind victory.

And while he should have been celebrating that evening with the others, his cap came off while running, seeming to ruin all their efforts to hide his embarrassment, so he was avoided at the evening dance afterwards. As his hopelessness began to consume him, as he was ready to accept being a loner, as he steeled himself for leaving it all behind in search of somewhere for him to belong…she came forward.

His friend, the young and well off blond girl Airie, was the only person to approach him. She hobbled over as gracefully and with as much dignity she could, and extended her hand to the quickly deteriorating young man and asked in a soft and caring tone " Dance with me…" " What are you talking about? You with your bum leg…and me…with my bald head…you don't wanna be seen with me…" Hamira said in a tone that sounded like he was going to cry. Still, she looked down at him with that same soft and caring expression, and said, " I'm not embarrassed.

He looked up and into her eyes as she extended her small and delicate hand out to his large and powerful form, and it was then he came to a conclusion which would close the book out.

Maybe you didn't have to get it right the first time. Maybe you could start over, and try again.

Eri sat the books down on the night stand next to the bed and read the clock. It was closing on eleven and she was getting tired. It was irritating that she had to be tired since all she wanted to do was think about how she had been included into Harima's books. More so though, how his character and her character related to one another throughout the series. It donned on her though…when did he finish it? When was it

published?

Quickly, she reopened the third book to it's opening pages. To her surprise, this was only published a couple months ago. This must mean he was still writing…but more so, it vexed her further as to how things would stand.

_Damn it…now it's gonna bother me for the rest of my life…Harima can't create his own characters, so he uses people from his life as to make up for that. Hell, all the experiences were all similar to what he himself had lived through as well. But he…had to use me in that…like that…so now what? Damn it. This is confusing…what…what was that Hige thinking…and…and…what…what was he thinking…_

With yet another heavy sigh, Eri wandered out onto her personal balcony and sat down in one of the chairs, leaning back and staring up at the stars. When was it? When was the last time she did this, staring up at the stars from her balcony. It was back then. The last time she saw him. The last time she saw Harima.

It was a little over two years ago. She was in her mansion, along with Mikoto, Akira, Tenma, Karasuma, Yakumo, Sara, and Hanai. Eri was throwing a gathering for everyone, sending invites all the way out to America in order to bring Tenma and Karasuma over for it.

She only had to invite Mikoto, Akira, Tenma, and Yakumo, since they all maintained contacts or otherwise with the rest of those who showed up. Tenma moved to America with Karasuma, Sara lived with Yakumo in Tenma's place, and Mikoto and Hanai were…close friends. Thus is how everyone was able to attend.

Being hosted by the Sawachika family, there was little expense spared. Large sushi platters, giant punch bowls, decadent desserts and all variety of appetizers and finger sandwiches. Of course there was more than they had needed, however it didn't really matter. Fact was that there was plenty for everyone and that everyone was going to have a good time. Music played and everyone sat around the various furniture drinking their wine and punch.

" So…there I am getting faced down by some humongous guy who looks like a walking truck. I swear he was too big to fit through a doorway. Anyhow…so I wait to see what he's gonna do and he telegraphs this chop so early, I have enough time to duck it, slip behind him, and trip him from behind, getting the win. I swear, I thought this was gonna be such a problem." said a slightly boastful Mikoto.

" There's no reason for you to have been worried Mikoto. After all, you're the only person I know that goes blow for blow with me anymore." said a typically serious Hanai.

" Wow Miko that's great!" praised an excited Tenma, whom which was a lover of wrestling and martial arts.

" How about you Tenma? Do you have any kind of great stories? How is it out in America?" Eri asked with a coy smile.

" It's fun. I felt kind of out of place for a while of course, but Oji has been so wonderful! And my English is pretty good too!" the small dark haired girl boasted.

" Really? Well, let's hear it then." Eri said in an almost challenging manner.

" Okay, here I go." Tenma stated.

She took a deep breath and concentrated. With all her might, she began to focus, building up an aura that was almost palpable. Finally, she spoke.

" HELLO…MY NAME IS…TENMA TSUKAMOTO! I AM…PLEASED TO MEET…YOU VERY MUCH! " she said in a stammered and uneasy manner.

Eri nodded, stiffening her lips and cheeks, holding back a laugh.

" It's a little rough, however for Tenma that was pretty good." said the sharp eyed Akira.

" I suppose so. But how long have you two been living over there?" Eri asked.

" I guess about two years now." Tenma responded, taking a moment to think about it.

" Actually…Tenma is quite fluent. She doesn't seem to realize it though, when you put her on the spot like that." stated Karasuma in his usual cool.

" That also makes sense." Akira stated again.

" She's like that with most things." said Karasuma again.

Tenma blushed proudly, loving the praise she received from Karasuma. The others giggled and laughed amongst themselves at the hyperactive girl.

" Still, it's good to see you so happy, Tenma." said the usually quiet Yakumo.

" I just can't believe it's been over a year since we all got back together. Only person we're missing is Harima!" Mikoto blurted.

With a simple mention of his name, Eri's face filled with a tint of blush, which she hid behind a glass of punch. She had hoped someone would have invited him. Though she might have herself, she did lack the ability to do so.

" I suppose so. Who was the last person to see him? Yakumo?" Hanai asked, seemingly less concerned about any relationship the younger Tsukamoto had to him anymore.

The quiet girl was now the center of attention and began to feel uncomfortable. With all eyes on her, she began to speak.

" It…it seems that he was busy. We finished the second volume of the manga this week…so he might be off getting it printed…or maybe he was working…" she said uneasily.

Eri's face was flat and irritated. She did care a great deal about Yakumo, however couldn't help feeling the dagger of jealousy at the fact that Harima and Yakumo were very close. More so than she had wanted.

" Well that's too bad. It's been so long since I saw Harima last. I think it was that one time at the club. You remember that Eri?" Tenma said, with a clueless tone.

Eri's face turned a little more red. That was the last time she saw him as well. How could she forget that? It was probably the most wonderful night of her life still.

" Oh, and you should have seen Karasuma dance! He was amazing!" Tenma praised.

" Really? I never knew." Sara questioned, not really being very familiar with Karasuma.

" I have to see this for myself. Come on, you'll dance for us won't ya?" Mikoto chimed, egging on the fun.

" Oh won't you Oji?" Tenma pleaded, looking into her lovers eyes.

He gave a soft smile, then stood up with a nod.

" Okay. But I'll need to get my CD from the car. I would prefer some music for this." he said, giving in to everyone's request.

He walked out of the mansion while everyone cleared the area for him to show off on. He came back and with Nakamura's aid, was able to get the CD into the player and his song played. A whistle blew a few times, and the song 'Ninja Rap' by Vanilla Ice blared throughout the mansion. Karasuma's moves were quick and flashy, looking like he came out of an MC Hammer music video.

With all this going on, no one, with but two exceptions, seemed to notice that Eri had fallen rather quiet. So much so that she excused herself without anyone knowing.

Stepping out on their large balcony over looking the neighborhood, Eri sat quietly, contemplating that one thing she kept holding onto. This wasn't unusal for her, to be out here on a bright, moonlit night, staring up into the sea of stars for answers and inspiration. But she usually did it alone, and was very surprised by her visitor.

" Are…you alright Eri?" asked an uncertain and slightly nervous Yakumo.

" So you noticed huh. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. But you've always known, haven't you." Eri retorted, without any real tone in her voice.

" I just wanted to make sure that you were alright." the dark haired girl said, earnestly.

Eri let out a sigh, then motioned for Yakumo to join her.

" So…how is he? Hige I mean." she asked.

" He's doing well. I see him from time to time. Though he has been busy with working on the Manga as well as his job. It does keep him out of trouble I suppose." mused Yakumo.

" And what about you?" asked the blond, now with a hint of sharpness.

"…I'm fine." she replied, her nervousness setting back in.

" Don't lie. You aren't quite satisfied with how it's all turned out, are you?" Eri stated.

" No…I guess I'm not." Yakumo replied, more honestly than before.

" So…what do you think will happen?" the hostess asked.

" Nothing. At least for me. But I suppose it's for the best. He doesn't feel the way I do, so it wouldn't work out. I wouldn't want a one sided relationship." Yakumo said, almost uncharacteristically.

" You don't deserve that Yakumo. You're a good person." Eri praised, with a small smile no less.

Yakumo's face gained a hint of blush from the comment, as she and Eri had never truly been on great terms considering that they knew they both cared for the same man.

" T…thank you." the younger woman stammered.

" I've had a few boyfriends since…and…well…I can't quite figure out what I'm doing wrong. Is there no guy in the world like him? I thought maybe if I were in a different country, maybe I'd find someone else. Someone more sophisticated, more mannerly, and more…I don't know…high class." Eri remarked, with a hint of depression now.

" But…I think that…I think that Harima doesn't need to be all those things. I…I love him the way he is. And if he were any different…then maybe I wouldn't." Yakumo said, almost defensively.

Eri snickered quietly, knowing that Yakumo was indeed very right.

" That's true. If he were any more normal of a man, this would not be so hard. Nor would it be as interesting." she joked.

" So what now?" Yakumo asked.

" What do you mean? He's Hige. He's annoying, dirty, loud, rude, uncouth, messy, sloppy, mangy, doggerel, infuriating…there's so much about him that drives me insane…" Eri exasperated.

" But…" Yakumo said, trying to get Eri to finish her sentence.

" But underneath it all, he's a decent guy." Eri finished.

" I was hoping you would have something better to say about him, Eri." Yakumo said, half joking, half unsure of her romantic rival.

" Well, I do. But that's for me to tell him one day I guess." the blond retorted with a wink.

The pair sat in silence for a moment, until Eri spoke.

" Let me ask you one more question?"

" …Alright." Yakumo responded.

" What is it about him…about Harima…that you like most?" asked the now slightly embarrassed blond.

" W…well…"

Yakumo looked down at her feet, as she usually did, when she began to feel insecure. After a moment of thought, her eyes met Eri's with a stronger resolve than before.

" I like…how honest he is…and how gentle he can be." she said, mildly embarrassed.

Eri let her gaze lock into Yakumo's for a mere few moments that seemed to last an eternity. Once her thoughts had been gathered, she smiled and spoke in agreements.

" Yeah….I think that's what I love most about him. How he never really treated me any different than anyone else, despite my wealth or family status." she now mused.

Yakumo smiled, and it was one like Eri had never seen. She stood up and began to walk back inside, but left a small piece of paper on the table with a number scribbled on it. As she left, Eri took the small paper and held it up for her to read. It was a phone number. Must be his phone number. With that, she slipped it into her pocket and walked back inside, joining the rest of the party.

After a couple more hours of partying, and a few rounds of liquor, most everyone seemed to find a place to crash around the house. Whether in a guest room like Yakumo, Sara, and Akira, or under a table like Hanai, who doesn't hold his liquor well, especially when goaded into drinking by Mikoto and Akira. Either way, everyone was asleep, except for the good hostess, who was back to sitting on the balcony once again, staring into the early morning starry sky. Her thoughts wandered from star to star, however never did stay from the initial topic.

_Harima…_

Another heavy sigh, then she looked down at the small piece of paper with the number written down on it. Then suddenly, a thought crept it's way into her head.

Maybe it was because she was lonely. Maybe it was because she had far too much to drink.

Maybe it was because she was slowly getting bored.

Maybe a combination of all three.

Either way, she looked at the number written down on the paper, and pulled out her cell phone. The display lit up the time, around a quarter till three.

_I wonder…if he's up right now? Would he mind?_

The thought waxed and waned insider her mind, until finally in her inebriated state, dialed.

One ring.

_Wait…what am I doing?_

Two rings.

_I…I don't even know what to say to him…_

Three rings.

_I…I gotta hang up!_

However, before she could, the phone was answered.

" Hello?"

_No! What's going on? There's no way…it….it can't be…_

The voice on the other end of the phone was obviously feminine. Eri gasped for air, completely shocked. Her head became light, and the world began to spin. She could barely hold up the phone as her arms felt like lead weights. With her body beginning to shake and her eyes darting around in a panic, she wished she could have died right there.

" Oh…uh…I…I'm sorry for bothering you…" she stammered, getting ready to hang up. That is, until she heard his voice in the background.

" HEY! ITOKO! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? DON'T ANSWER MY DAMN PHONE!" shouted an irate Kenji Harima in the background

_Itoko…that was his cousin, right? The one who was our teacher?_

After a moment of struggle on behalf of the receiving party, the masculine voice of Kenji Harima was heard clearly now, instead of in the background.

" Hello?" he asked, slightly dumbfound.

" Ummm…" Eri began, now full of uncertainty.

" Who is this?" he asked, slightly suspicious.

_Alright Eri…no more time for this nervous crap. We're not in high school anymore. Time to be an adult about things…_

" HARIMA!" she blurted loudly, forcing herself to be confident.

" Yeah? Is that you Oujo?" he asked in a lighter tone.

" Yeah." she said more flatly, oblivious to the alcohols effects on her speech.

" Well how about that. Your calling late." he said.

" Well…so? Would you rather I didn't call?" she said with a slur.

" What's this? Have you been drinking?" Harima retorted with a mild delight.

"…Maybe…" she said, slightly embarrassed, slightly irritated.

" So what's up Oujo?" he asked.

" Well…we're having a get together. You should like…you know….come over." she replied in a commanding, if not intoxicated tone.

The other line went quiet for a moment.

" What…right now?" he asked.

" YES NOW!" she shouted back.

The line went silent again for a moment.

" Sure, why not. Your place right?" he asked.

" Ummm, yeah." she replied, her mood swinging meekly.

" Okay. Should I bring anything?" he asked, yet again.

" Just get over here Hige!" she commanded.

With no real parting words, they hung up. It was then that Eri's realized what had just happened.

_Oh my god. I just drunk dialed Harima and now he's on his way over…_

She began to panic in her mind, which of course led her to do so physically. Holding her head she sighed, unsure of what to do. The party was over. EVERYONE was asleep. It would be just the two of them…which wouldn't be bad, but how would he view it? She wasn't in the right frame of mind to be making any decisions and he's expecting everyone to be up and ready to party.

This was becoming bad. She scrambled around to see what she could do, and at three in the morning and for the most part wasted, she didn't really seem to do much more than waste time.

Oh and time did waste, as before too long, off in the direction of the entrance she heard a loud knocking on their heavy doors. She approached them slowly, finally placing her hand on the door handle. She began to regret this, as she didn't want Harima to see her like this. Not wasted and panicked like this. He knocked again, and out of fear of him leaving, she pulled the door open.

Sighing again, Eri stood up and headed inside, crawling into her bed.

_I am way too damn tired to even deal with that night again…jeez… _


	4. Lonely Midnight

L Boogie- Sorry. I know it's been a while. Well, here you go. It's taken me a while to get this one out because A) I do my best work real late at night and I've been going to bed at more decent hours, and B) I really didn't want to let this one go without it passing the L Boogie approval guidelines. I officially approve of it, though let me know if there's anything curiously wrong with it. As always I'm open to opinion. But I do believe you'll all enjoy this. So here you go, it's what we've all been waiting for. This is the Reunion.

Legal Shenanigans - Nope. I don't own it. If I did, well…I'd probably have screwed it up somehow. But no worries, because Harima fixes everything. Anyhow, I don't own it, and I'm poor so suing me will do very little. Please spare me! Thank you Jin Kobayashi for such magnificence.

A Reunion with Unrequited Affection: A School Rumble Fan Fiction

Lonely Midnight

She was nervous. All morning she had been fidgety and irritable. Consistently pacing around, back and fourth and then some, Eri Sawachika could not contain her nervousness much more. Before too long, she ran out to her bedroom balcony and let out an overly stressed cry. Yesterday had come and gone so fast, and while she had gotten herself completely ready, hindsight told her that maybe she should have waited for some things to be done today.

_It's fine…it's…gonna be fine. I'm just nervous and there's no reason for me to be. It's just a reunion. I went to school with these guys for three years straight. No reason I couldn't just walk into a large group of them and say " How's it going_?"…

She let out another sigh, then paced around again on her balcony. This was not going to be a great day. Hopefully, this evening will pick up that slack. Finally, she crashed down onto a chair nearby. She held out her fingers and began counting on them, using them to organize her thoughts.

_Dress…check._

The dress she had chosen was not brand new by any means. In fact, it had been worn previously, which might go against the hoity-toity code of conduct revolving around wearing the same dress twice. Then again, it had been over 5 years since she wore it last. Or first.

It was a beautiful summer day, and everything in her world was perfect. Still she couldn't get over the fact that she had a date to the new amusement park. Of course, this was technically a shame, considering that the date was simply won out on an amazing display of fortune since it was a prize as a part of a raffle. Still, she had to go on her date because the money made through this lottery was the benefit the Yagami Zoo. The Zoo was suffering from being over budget ever since it took in those extra animals earlier in the previous year.

So, the highly charitable Sawachika family decided to help the ailing landmark, by sponsoring a fundraiser in it's honor. Of course, there would be prizes to win, and oh such lovely prizes they would be. A new home entertainment center, new kitchen equipment, a pair of plane tickets, a new car, and a date with a local writer and animal rights activist. That last one was rather strange, but everyone considered it to be all in good fun. Eri had shown up, since it was part of who she was. Hob knobbing with the other members of the upper class as well as making a show for those not quite as fortunate as the young heiress was. Out of an act of good faith, she too bought a raffle ticket, knowing or caring little about the prizes.

So go figure her expression when she found out she won a date. More so, when she found out said date was none other than the man who donated the animals to the Zoo, a mister Kenji Harima.

At first, she tried to refuse. After all, she was the daughter of the sponsors, she shouldn't be allowed to win the prize. Unfortunately, she not allowed to refuse, as the official rules stated that the date was the only prize that could not be refused. If it was, then the proceeds would then immediately be refunded and the Zoo would have to expedite the animals to other Zoo's that could afford to take them.

A strange rule it was. Even more so strange was that it was concocted by Eri's own mother, who was in cahoots with the local school nurse Tae Anegasaki and science teacher Itoko Osakabe. However, not very many people knew this, and only the three of them knew why.

Of course, Kenji Harima had been against the idea the entire time, but his lovely cousin explained what would happen if he refused, meaning that he had to go on this date or risk losing his animal family.

And so it was scheduled that on Sunday, they would have a date together.

On that next Sunday, she had everything prepared. Her hair was done, her make up was tasteful, and her dress was short and black. Not in any kind of burlesque way either. It was sheik and still very cute. It could show off her body without making her feel cheap. It was just right for this kind of thing. Everything was going as planned. That is…everything but her date. Seems he was going to be about fifteen minutes late. Still, even though she was getting irritated at the idea that he had the audacity to make her wait, upon the sound of that doorbell, all her aggravation faded fast and was replaced by nervousness and bashfulness.

Sadly, to Eris dismay, she had let that train of thought trail off, as she looked up at the clock and realized it was already noon. She would wear the same dress. Show off that she could still wear the same clothes, with minimal tailoring, since she had grown a few centimeters since she wore it last during her third year in high school.

_Okay…dress? Check. Hair? Check._

She looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a little longer than it was back then. Though she had her hair properly cleaned and styled, she was actually just going to let it fall free, instead of wearing it in her usual ponytails.

_Make up? Check._

Looking inside by her vanity mirror, she had her different make up products scattered about.

_Accessories_? _Check._

On a chair next to her bed were a pair of black shoes with a matching Gucci purse.

She looked down to the ground, counting over and over again on her hands until she was pretty sure she had everything accounted for. Sitting back in the chair, she stared at the clock, letting her mind wander around, as she played a variety of different scenarios on the up coming evening. In the end, all she was doing was fantasizing about how she'd walk in and see him standing there. They would have one of their typical squabbles, and then make up, ending with him taking her out for a nice evening bike ride. And as the different fantasy's and setting played through her head, she closed her eyes to get a better grasp on what her imagination had been cooking up. Before too long, she opened her eyes and the sky had a slightly orange hue in the distance, signaling to her that a significant amount of time had passed.

" Oh god...NAKAMURA!" she bellowed in a slight panic.

With complete and utmost haste, the aforementioned butler arrived from the shadows.

" Yes, my lady." he said softly.

" I'm going to be late to the reunion. Oh god…I gotta change…and do my make up…so get the car ready immediately." she ordered with slight stammering.

Not even spending a second to acknowledge the order, he was off to his task, which was completed far ahead of Eri, who was still finishing her make up half dressed. One half an hour after she had woken up from her afternoon nap, she was ready to go. Before she left however, she took a second to spend some time in her vanity mirror. Wearing the dress brought back the memories of that day she spent with Harima, and also the time she spent in the mirror before that event, evaluating herself.

_Well, at least I look damn good. Now if it will only be enough…_

Again, she poked and touched around her body, trying to solidify her confidence in her figure as well as looks. Hoping it would be enough to catch his eye, and maybe even his heart. After another moment of staring at herself in the mirror, she took a deep breath and then exhaled it. Then, she smiled. Not quite ear to ear, but it was bold and it was earnest. It felt like an eternity since she had smiled like this. Parting her lips, it became a grin, and she nodded to herself in the mirror.

_Alright Harima, here I come. No more wondering. No more waiting. Tonight we make it clear, and come hell or high water, there will be an answer and I can finally put this whole thing to rest._

Turning immediately on her heel, with an amazing grace and an aura of nobility, Eri walked out of the room and straight outside to where Nakamura had the car idly waiting. Getting in, she gave him his orders.

" Nakamura, please take me to the high school. After that, you may come back home. If I need anything, I'll have my phone on hand." she stated.

" You are certain, mistress?" he asked, slightly uncertain himself.

" Indeed. More so than ever." she said confidently.

A shift in his jaw and a contortion of his cheeks went by unnoticed, however Nakamura allowed a gentle smile cross his lips.

_My young lady, how I've watched you grow. You've truly become an adult and are ready to take on the greatest challenge of them all…the heart. If I had one wish now…it would be for you to find that one person in this world that makes you happy._

After allowing himself a very sentimental thought, he immediately pulled the car into high gear, and was on the road to the High School.

Fortunately for Eri, that road was not very long, and in five minutes, she was being let out of the limousine via Nakamura holding the door for her. As she stepped out, she subtly straightened out her little black dress so that the bottom of it fell just above the knee. With her purse slung over her shoulder, she walked up to the entrance, where she was greeted by one of the faculty. With a wave to her butler, she disappeared inside. Nakamura took a bow towards her and watched her leave, then got back in the car, silently hoping that there was one more bit of good fortune left in his life.

Finally, after being guided through the halls, she was brought to the central area where everyone was mingling around. Immediately she recognized people that she had known from her adolescence, though many of them she did not remember very clearly. Mostly because they had merely known each other existed, but still, it delighted her to see them. Wandering through the crowd of semi familiar faces, in the distance, she finally saw one of the sights she had hoped to see.

Standing off towards the eastern wall of the gym was her dear friend Mikoto Suo. The tall, busty girl hadn't changed much, except that her hair was a few inches longer than last time they met. Eri made her approach quickly, tossing up her hand with a wave and calling out to her long time friend.

" Mikoto! Over here!"

The dark haired girl turned to see her old friend quickly approaching. A smile formed across her face as she took off after her, meeting halfway and into a friendly embrace.

" Oh my god. Eri! It's been so long! " she said.

" I know. I wanted to come out earlier, but I've just been so busy with everything. I hope my letters have sufficed." Eri said, somewhat apologetically.

" Well, I'll forgive you this time. But seriously? It's been like…two years! Oh my god, so much has happened." Mikoto said, ranging from somewhat forgivingly to excited.

" Yeah, that's what I was gonna ask actually. How are you and Hanai doing?" the blond questioned.

Immediately, Mikoto's face turned red. Even though it was well known that she and Hanai had been together for a few years now, apparently something had changed.

" W…well…about that…" she said, stammering.

A moment of watching Mikoto stammer was all the provocation that Eri needed. A quick glance at her figure, and she had noted that Mikoto had put on some weight. Immediately her eyes shot open and her mouth dropped, shocked at the thought that was just coming off her tongue.

" Oh my god…you pregnant!" she exclaimed.

The blush in the young woman's face deepened. With a shaky nod, Eri almost leapt on her with a tight embrace.

" Oh Mikoto! That's wonderful!" she cheered.

Embarrassment was something Mikoto did not handle well. Or like, for that matter. A few people in the area gave thumbs up and cheered for her as well, where in which she just tried to play it off.

" Can you keep it down?" Mikoto asked.

" Why? Who cares?" Eri retorted.

" It's just that…I dunno…I'm scared." she responded.

" What? Mikoto Suo scared? That's absurd!" the blond responded, defiantly however with an edge of sarcasm, " But seriously, why?"

" Well…I'm not married yet."

" Married? You mean…oh. Well…that's not all that bad. It happens a lot you know? So…is it…" Eri said, leading on for Mikoto to finish the sentence.

" It's Haruki's…." she answered, slightly flat.

" Why do you sound so dubious? Isn't that a good thing? You do care about him right?" inquired the earnestly interested blonde.

" Well yeah. I mean…I love him. And he loves me…but…neither of our parents know…" the dark haired girl said shakily again.

" Don't worry about it so much. So what if your parents don't care. I mean, you both have professional jobs after all. Didn't Hanai take over for his father? And you still have that PR job right?" Eri stated, trying to boast her friends confidence.

" I suppose your right. And we are adults. It's just…it just feels overwhelming some days, you know?" Mikoto vented.

" Well…that's understandable." Eri replied, giving her good friend a gentle pat on the back.

A moment of silence passed between the two old friends, however, was inevitably broken by a third and equally old friend. And boy did this friend have some news as well.

" It's Eri! ERI!" cried Tenma happily.

Before she had a chance to look, Eri was blindsided by the bubbly girl with a hug. After they parted, Eris jaw hit the ground, seeing a very pregnant Tenma.

" W…wow…you're pregnant too Tenma?" Eri asked.

" Yeah! It'll be our second. Right Oji?" she said, giving a glance to her husband who was making his way up by her side.

Eri felt her spirit leave her body. Had she been so out of contact with her friends that she never even knew some of these basic things.

" WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE PREGNANT THE FIRST TIME!" Eri shouted, irritated that she was obviously never informed about it.

" I sent you a letter. Didn't you get it?" she asked innocently.

After a moment, and an eyebrow twitch, Eri sighed, letting her anger go.

" So…I wanna see some pictures! Was it a boy or a girl? What was the name you picked out? How far along are you now?" the blonde asked in a flurry.

" Oh, our little Justin is a boy, and I'm about eight months now…" the ditzy dark haired girl said, adding up all the facts in her head.

" We'll be having a baby girl on the seventeenth of next month." Karasuma stated coolly.

" So yeah! I wanna see some pictures." said Mikoto, her spirits lifted.

Tenma reached into her purse and dug out a large book. It detailed pictures of her wedding, which all the girls were at, as well as the pictures of her son from the day he was born all up till present.

" Wow…he's so big. I can't believe he's two already…" Eri said, cutting her sentence off.

_Wait…two? That means she was pregnant the last time we were all together…jeez what the hell have I been doing? I feel like I've been living under a rock…_

" When are you due Mikoto?" Tenma asked.

" Wh…what do you mean?" she replied, now becoming frantic.

" Well, your pregnant right?" Tenma asked again, her intuition being right on the nose.

" How did you know that Tenma?" inquired Eri with great need.

" I dunno. You just do. I've had some practice at it. I'm sure you'll know one day." Tenma replied, " Anyways, so who else is here?"

" Well Haruki is over there, bickering with Masakazu. Seems that even after high school, they still couldn't get along. They just have to have the last laugh." Mikoto stated.

Suddenly, the pair whizzed past everyone, as Hanai reached the end of the gymnasium first.

" Hah! See Masakazu?…I…I CAN beat you in a foot race!" Hanai exclaimed in victory.

" A race from one end of the gym isn't manly enough to determine a true and definite winner. I say we make it a dozen laps around the building. Anyone who loses their breath and stride immediately is declared the ultimate loser!" the purported loser said defiantly.

" Fine. Your on!" Hanai shouted as the pair made their way outside.

Mikoto shook her head, allowing it to fall.

" And he's the father…god I hate my life…" she said depressingly.

" But at least he's a good role model." Tenma said, trying to cheer up her friend.

She would only receive an angry glance before the conversation resumed.

" So there's those two. Karen said Lala was at a tournament. Imadori was there too." Mikoto said.

" So are they a thing now?" Eri inquired.

" No. He's into broadcasting. He does some reporting, but Karen said that he does voice work on the side." Mikoto explained.

" Oh." the other girls said in unison.

Truth was, he was a part time news anchor, but his real passion was for voice acting. Especially in super sentai style series'. However none of the girls knew anything about that.

" Ok. So how about Harima?" Tenma asked.

The three fell silent. Though it was like a blanket, the poor love struck blonde couldn't help but feel it was quickly wrapping up around her.

" I haven't seen him. I doubt he'll show." said Mikoto, sounding a little depressed, " It's kinda sad really. He was part of our group. At least, more so than Haruki or Imadori."

" Yeah, that's too bad. I'd call Yakumo to see what she knows, but I guess she's at a convention out in Akihabara. Something to do with her Manga." Tenma explained.

" Oh? So she got it published and everything? I guess Harima must have given her a helping hand. Seems kind of fast really. Oh well. Good for her." Mikoto said.

As the two girls chatted more energetically, Eri felt that cold feeling of dread. That possibility that…maybe things were not going to go her way. That she would never even get that chance to set things straight. To express her feelings for Harima, to Harima. As this feeling sank over her, she knew she needed to get out of there.

" Sorry, I gotta go get some air…I'll be right back." Eri said, scurrying off.

Mikoto's gaze narrowed on her old friends odd behavior, however allowed it to slide, just this once. Making a mental note in her head to stop off and visit Eri in a little bit, she continued her conversation with Tenma, who seemed rather distracted by her husband and some of his former band mates gathering instruments from the school music hall.

Outside, Eri was leaning up against the door frame, staring at the ground in a fit of aggravation and confusion.

_It wasn't supposed to be like this…I knew it wouldn't be easy…but…it…it's just not fair._

Sighing, she began to give into her depressing thoughts, losing interest in everything going on inside the building. While it was nice to see Mikoto and Tenma, unfortunately she began to debate whether or not it was worth the heartache. Before too long, she noticed the world become hazy and distorted. The moment before she could feel the breaking point before she began to sob, her phone chimed. Pulling it from her purse, she was shocked to see it was from Akira.

_Cinderella had to leave the ball before midnight. You aren't Cinderella, so take advantage of that._

" What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Eri inquired harshly to her phone.

She sent a text message back to Akira, however as usual, Akira was somehow out of service area. She glared at her phone for another moment, until she realized that she was no longer alone.

" Hey Eri. You feeling okay?" Mikoto asked, earnestly.

"…Not really." she answered, slightly detached.

" So what's up? You seemed to be in such a good mood earlier." the dark haired girl asked in follow up.

" Even though you guys are here…honestly…you, Tenma…the others…they aren't the reason I came back…" spoke the young heiress, quietly.

" You mean…Harima?" Mikoto said, again in question.

" Yeah."

The girls sat in another moment of silence, until Mikoto broke it.

" That hung up over it huh?" she asked.

" I guess. I mean…I just want to make things clear. I want an answer. I don't care whether it's a yes or a no, so long as I get an answer. I'll hope for a yes, but if not…it's fine. I can finally put it to rest and maybe move on." spoke the blonde, who's tone was very melancholy.

" That's understandable." agreed Mikoto.

" But…he's not here. I really should have seen that coming. I mean…he hated school, and didn't have very many friends." Eri explained.

" That is true. But…" Mikoto said in retort.

" But what?" asked Eri.

" But anything worth doing is worth the effort. If it's important, shouldn't someone go to any length to see it through?" Mikoto stated, doing what she could to cheer up her friend.

Eri took a moment to think things over. What Mikoto said was true, at least, she felt it was true in her heart. It was all she had wanted on this whole trip, so she had to believe it.

" Hey…I got this weird text message from Akira." Eri said.

She whipped her phone out and showed the message to Mikoto, who read it, then scratched her head.

" Seems pretty weird for Akira. You sure you couldn't ask her what it was about?" asked Mikoto.

" Yeah. It said she was out of service. It's so weird. So what do you think about it?" Eri asked.

" I say stick around till midnight and see what happens. I know it seems weird, but Akira usually knows what she's talking about." Mikoto answered.

Eri went quiet for a moment, spending it in thought. Mikoto watched her with a slight smirk, admiring the resolve she could see slowly rebuilding in her friends eyes.

" Well, I'm going back inside. Take all the time you like Eri, but if you ask me, you've come too far to turn back now." her friend advised.

" Thanks, Mikoto." Eri said in gratitude.

The dark haired girl bowed her head with a slight grin, then slipped back inside, greeting a small group of former acquaintances. Watching her leave, Eris smile began to creep back onto her face. Turning her back to the door, she wandered further away from the gymnasium. The night air felt great against her skin. The moon was three quarters full and shone brightly in the dark sky. From where she was, she could see the track, the soccer field, and the basketball courts.

Taking a quick stroll around, she began to let things come into focus naturally, instead of sitting around attempting to force the thoughts and feelings to emerge and sort themselves out.

_When was it? When was it that I wasn't just Oujo to him anymore. Back when I entered Yagami High, I had only heard of Harima through his reputation. Never really talked to him, and rarely saw him. Then, all of a sudden, he's in my life thanks to Tenma. After that, it got…complicated._

She sighed, reliving all the moments of their high school days together.

_It couldn't have been after I shaved his head or the sports festival. But maybe that's when we had become friends. Or something like that. And all those misunderstandings with Yakumo. God I feel like we were all such idiots now…_

Her thoughts trailed off for a moment as she took in those experiences she had shared with him. Suddenly though, she recalled a point when things seemed different.

_Maybe it was back when I was getting ready to leave Japan. The four of us all got together one last time, as Tenma was also going to follow Karasuma to America in order to attend college over there. We had a picnic out by the shrine, just the four of us. And afterwards we went out shopping. Finally, we had dinner at my home, and ate cake. It was lovely. But we all had to leave eventually._

_Once everyone had left, I felt pretty down. It wasn't like I would never see them again…but we knew it wouldn't be the same. I couldn't sleep that night, and I ended up walking around the block a few times. Once it was close to morning, I happened to bump into Harima, who was delivering news papers. I followed him around on his route and we talked the whole way. It was so much fun that I had forgotten that I was supposed to be on the plane to London in an hour. I can't believe I almost missed it. But…maybe…it would have been better if I had. I mean, after all…maybe we could have hit it off more, and…_

She sighed. It didn't seem like she could figure it out. That one point when she wasn't just Oujo. She really wanted to know, but figured she wouldn't be able to guess when it was. But…when was it that he was no longer just Hige to her? When was it that she stopped thinking of him as just that guy she kinda liked.

_I know that his original confession to me wasn't meant for me. And that wasn't it anyhow. It only proved to me that unlike any other guy I had met, he could show these deep and passionate feelings, none like I've ever felt. Even if they weren't for me, I could feel them. I suppose that's what drew me to him. But that's not it._

_I want to say that it wasn't when he won the relay. Even though it was for me, it wasn't meant like that. I…I think it was that time I saw Yakumo with his jacket. I was so angry about what she had done, that I couldn't even think straight. The thought of him with another woman was almost too much to bear. Yeah…I think that's when it really was._

Eri took a moment and knelt down, sitting on her heels as she crossed her arms around her knees, staring at the concrete below her. She watched on as fireflies lit the evening air and danced about, heedless to anyone watching. Holding out her hand, one landed softly and crawled about for a moment. Smiling, Eri brought it close to her, making a silent wish, and then raised her hand upwards to the clouds, allowing the firefly to take flight with her wish on its wings.

It was a silly notion that she had. Just like wishing on a star, or a well, or anything else for that matter. But it was nice to be silly every once in a while.

" Go on little firefly. Go tell that stupid Harima to get here so I can tell him." she said with confidence once again.

With that, she turned and wandered back inside the school, rejoining Mikoto and Tenma, as well as her old classmates for some lengthy reminiscing. Unfortunately she had spent so much time outside that she only had another forty five minutes before it would be Ten. The event wasn't scheduled to go on past then, so the former classmates began to file out as the few representatives from the school ushered them away so they could lock down the building. The three old friends gathered together at the entrance of the building and talked briefly.

" Wow, this was so much fun. How long are you both in town? We have to get together again, and like…tomorrow!" said the tall and buxom woman with the shorter dark hair.

" Well, Oji and I are going to be in town for a little while. We even rented a car. And I think that would be great. How about you Eri?" the bubbly woman with the long dark hair asked.

" Sure, why not. How about day after tomorrow at my place. We'll get breakfast and go shopping. Maybe hit the pool or go karaoke. How's that?" the slender blond woman suggested.

" Alright. Hey, do we all have each others numbers? I feel like we don't." Mikoto asked, whipping hers out.

The three did some quick number bantering before Karasuma pulled up in the car they had rented. Tenma skipped down the steps and waved as she got into the vehicle.

" Don't forget! Gimmie a call!" she called from inside the car.

The remaining pair waved as she sped off with Karasuma. Mikoto turned to her long time friend and gave a smile.

" It's getting late and I gotta get going. But hey, don't forget, you got it?" Mikoto said.

" I won't. My house, day after tomorrow. That's easy." Eri answered with confidence.

" That's not what I mean. I want you to give me a call tomorrow. I wanna hear about it. Good or bad, I wanna know that you're gonna be alright." Mikoto stated, a slight smirk forming.

She began to walk off, not giving Eri a chance to retort. With a friendly wave, she began to head off in the direction of the dojo, knowing full well that would be where she would find Hanai, no doubt fired up from all his showing off against Masakazu.

Eri watched her go with a smile, then sat down on the steps of the school building. A myriad of emotions began to well up in her chest, from excite to anxiety. This was going to be all or nothing now. There would be no looking back, no regrets, and no more of the unknown. It had long been past due for her to get her answers. Ones she ran from for so long. But now, she was ready, or as ready as she was going to be.

However, it would be a long two hours. Just sitting there on the steps waiting for that one special someone. Letting memories wash over her over and over again, like the very tide itself. Relentless and encompassing, it was all she really could do to keep herself from drowning in her building emotions. But, there was something else in her heart that began to grow again. As every minute passed on, it was one less minute for him to show up. Now, as time had marched on, there was only fifteen minutes left for Harima to show up. Her emotions started to boil over, and she paced around quickly. Her breathing became erratic and she started to fidget uncontrollably. She would stand at the top of the steps in order to get a better vantage point, in desperate hopes of seeing him.

But there was nothing. And with only five minutes left until midnight, she was becoming desperate. Despite her best efforts, she had began to lose control of her emotions, as thoughts of despair began to haunt her mind. She shut her eyes and tried to shake them off, but to no avail. Despair was clutching her fragile heart, and tears began to well up in her eyes.

_No. It…it can't happen like this…_

No matter how much she pleaded or how hard she wished, her only answer came in the form of the very loud school bell, tolling a lonely midnight for the young woman. Immediately the tears fell from her eyes. The sky blurred until the stars could no longer be seen. Eri fell to a seated position, laying her face in her hands as she let out what felt like years of pent up frustration. She couldn't remember a time when she had ever cried this hard, because it was so much that her eyes burned and her cheeks became sore quickly from the tears. After a few minutes, she tearfully checked the time. It was a quarter after midnight, and he had not shown up.

The young woman stood up, defeated and in shambles, leaning on the guard rail for support. She didn't want to call Nakamura for a ride, for fear of him seeing her in such an awful state. She took a step down and steadied herself after almost tripping. She could barely see, her body had become physically weak from all the tears she was shedding, and she had a dozen more steps to go. Another step down and she held onto the rail for dear life. With a stuttered breath, she took another step. However, her foot missed it's mark and she felt her body shift uncomfortably off balance. Her wobbly leg only seemed to throw her farther forwards and she looked on as her body started to become parallel with the world itself. A panic shot through her system, however she was too weak to scream. Dread, fear, anger, sadness, and many other negative emotions spread through her mind and body, as she shut her eyes and felt the darkness take her.

If you asked her, now, to this day she did not know how long she was out. Maybe for a second, maybe for a minute, either way she couldn't remember what happened between when she had fallen, and when she woke up. First thing she noticed when she came to, was that her vision wasn't all there. Her first perception that came to was her feeling. She could feel she was laying down, face up. Something was underneath her head and neck, almost as if it was propping them up. And it was soft to boot. Then came her vision, so to speak. She opened up her eyes and could see the moon. It was full, and beautiful. Almost breath taking in a way. There was a silhouette over her, though her vision wasn't strong enough to identify it.

And finally, her hearing. A voice was calling out to her. It was warm and caring, full of concern and kindness. It was also familiar, but distantly so. She blinked once, looking up at the silhouette, and then again. Eri reached one weak arm out with her handkerchief in hand to dry her eyes, however the soft and apparently masculine hands cupped her own fragile and feminine gently, and aided her in drying her tears. With her vision finally restored, she finally was able to gasp in awe of the sight before her. The man who may very well have saved her life, and for this man who was doing his very best to care for this girl in her time of need. With a shallow and tired voice, she called out to him.

"…H…Harima…."


	5. Love, Fifteen Minutes Late

L Boogie- So…first off, I'm sorry about the lengthy update. I've had a bit of a rollercoaster life these last few months financially…but who hasn't, know? Anyhow, here we are, at the last chapter and I'm happy with what I wrote. I'll even throw you a little bone at the end, which I don't think was too much, but you can all let me know what you think. Anyhow, it's been a pleasure writing this, and I hope that you all were able to enjoy it. I've got some other things on the writing block now, but I'll eventually be back to the School Rumble universe. I've had a story on the slow cooker in my mind for some time now…so maybe after my current project, I'll get to work on that for all of you to hopefully enjoy.

But before you read on the story, I'll share something with you all. First off, this is only the second story I've finished. It's sad, since I've got half a dozen other stories I haven't done crap with. Maybe one day…but not likely. So I was glad to finally get this thing wrapped up. This story was only going to be a one shot, but I'm glad I extended it. In honesty, there's nothing worse than something that is hastily written, and I hope that this does not come across like that. I've put some time into it, trying to make sure it doesn't get too wishy-washy but to stay both in character and maintain a slightly more adult feel.

Either way, I'm happy with what is here, and though it's not action packed and full of gags, it is a good few moments for these two, and I only hope that more people will get their chance to watch or read School Rumble and experience that love that we all have for these characters.

It has been quite a pleasure writing for you all. Please enjoy.

Legal Notation: This is School Rumble, an amazing and wonderful story by Jin Kobayashi. It is my pleasure to bring to you this final chapter of my most current work. While I do not own the characters, I do my best to make sure they are well represented. I thank you kindly for this opportunity to share my vision with you all, and I would also like for everyone who reads this to at least give a silent thank you to the ingenious creator of the Manga/Anime phenomenon.

A Reunion with Unrequited Affection: A School Rumble Fan Fiction.

Final Chapter: Love, Fifteen Minutes Late

The world had stopped for the young woman. There was neither sound or movement. There were no trees, no buildings, no ground, no sky. There was only the visage of the man hovering over her. She stared into his eyes for a few moments after whispering his name before his voice fully registered with her.

" Eri! Eri are you alright?" he pleaded.

Her throat was dry and her breath hot. She tried to say something, but it wouldn't come out. Harima's face scrunched slightly as he turned his ear towards her, trying to hear a little better.

" H…Harima…what….what are you doing here?" she asked in a whispery tone.

" What do you mean?" Harima asked.

" I…I…what happened?" Eri asked in a confusion.

" I was turning around the corner to head into the building for the reunion. Next thing I know I see you taking a nose dive down the stairs." he responded.

" Am…am I alright?" she asked, still dazed.

" I don't know. I was gonna ask you that. I was kinda surprised when I saw you. Wasn't sure what to do and before I knew it, you landed on me." he answered as best he could.

The blond took a moment to allow this information to process through her head. She realized now that she was sprawled out on the ground, with her head now resting in Harima's lap. A blush began to wash over her face as she came to a realization.

_Oh my god. I fell on him. In all of that mess, I fell on him. God I must seem like an idiot._

Her eyes opened wider as she looked up at him, giving him a sense of confusion. He returned a similar gaze, with a very questioning look.

" What happened to you?" he questioned.

" I was…I…was waiting for…" she began to say, until she began to stutter as her train of thought called for her to put on the emergency brakes.

_I was waiting for you…and you didn't show up…and it made me so sad…and…and…I…I can't tell him that! I can't! I just…_

" Who were you waiting for?" Harima asked, gingerly.

" I…I…" she stammered.

She wanted to say it, but it just wouldn't come off of her tongue.

" Wait…you're here for the reunion?" she asked him with a tone of confusion.

" Kinda. I didn't get off work till a little while ago, but I thought it was supposed to be some kind of party, so I figured it would go on at least until 2 or so, right?" he answered, with a mild, yet obvious amount of misinformation.

Eri gave him a blank look, which was tarnished with a slight irritation.

_He really thought it was going to be a party…_

" And that's why you were so late_? _Because you thought this was gonna be like some kind of Frat party?"she asked, that irritation now prevalent in her voice.

" Yeah. I guess so." he answered straightly.

She could feel her eyebrow twitch, and finally, after giving it a moment of thought, it began to pour over, like a broken dam. Despite how comfortable and happy she was to have her head resting in Harima's lap, she sat up quickly and with a single motion, smacked him over the head.

" OW! What the hell was that for? Jeez…" he said rubbing the now budding bump.

She took a very deep breath, quickly organizing her thoughts and allowed the air to permeate in her lungs. She knew she would need all of it, because she had to vent.

" ARE YOU SERIOUS? YOU MEAN THAT I SAT HERE ON THESE STEPS IN TEARS, CRYING HARDER THAN I EVER HAVE IN MY LIFE WAITING FOR STUPID YOU TO SHOW UP, ALMOST GETTING KILLED BY FALLING DOWN CONCRETE STEPS, ALL BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE SOME LATE NIGHT BOOZE FEST?" she shouted at point blank.

She was out of breath from all her yelling, with only her heavy breathing from trying to catch her breath being the only thing that broke the silence. After a few more moments, Harima spoke.

" So…wait, you were waiting for me?" he asked.

Immediately the blush washed over her face. Eri took a moment to change their seating arrangement, now more so that she was sitting beside him, as opposed to her body being contorted just to look at him. Suddenly, she felt more timid than before, as her anger faded and her resolve floundered. Thankfully, there was still some left, giving her what she needed to get very critical next word out.

"…yes…" she said in a very uncharacteristically timid manner.

Eri stretched her legs out and set her hands underneath her knees, touching her index fingers together in a nervous manner. Harima stared at her as she began to subtly fidget.

" Why? Why me? And why all the tears?" he asked, more concerned now.

" It's…it's because…I…" she began to say, stammering.

_Come on Eri this is your chance…you can do it. You can say it._

" Harima…"

_Don't choke now Eri…_

"…it's because…"

_Come Eri…it's almost out…_

"…I am…"

_Say it._

"…because I am…"

_In love…_

"…in…in…"

Her shoulders started to shake as she struggled to get the words out. It started out very subtly, however the more she struggled with it, the more her body began to quake. Before too long, it had become disrupting. She now clenched her teeth, as the words just wouldn't come out. Her face tinted with a dark crimson color, and her eyes jammed shut, it was obvious there was a problem. Seeing her in such distress, Harima did the only thing he could do.

To this day, had he done anything else, things might have been different.

Either way, seeing this woman in such distress, he simply took her into his arms and pulled her into a firm embrace. It was a complete shock to her, and for at least an entire minutes duration, they shared a heart beat skipping silence.

" Eri, there's something that…" Harima began to say.

" No…wait a moment Harima. There's something that I have to say." Eri said, cutting him off.

They let go and separated, however before their contact was entirely lost, she caught a hold of his hands and held them tightly. She craned her neck slightly upwards to look him in the eyes, and took a moment of silence to study his face.

Though it was the face she always remembered from her days in high school, there were a few signs of maturity to him. First of was that he was freshly clean shaven. Second was how his hair was slightly more neatly trimmed and maintained. Third was how he had gotten slightly thicker, in a sense that he had physically grown a bit more since graduation. However, what she noticed most of all, was his eyes. They were clear, like glass, full of honesty. While they were not the eyes of a saint, they definitely had a general warmth to them. They reminded her of everything they went through together, and how much she had missed those days.

With that thought in her head, she gave him a smile. One that she had truly only ever given him, and only rarely at that. If Harima had the most honest eyes a person could have, then Eri had the most genuine smile a person could give. Sure, neither of them showed it off very often…but when they did it had an ability to change minds and sway hearts.

" Harima…ever since we were in high school together…I have had feelings for you. Even after we graduated and I went to college, I've still carried those feelings for you. And through each of my failed relationships that I tried to have, I could never fully get you out of my head. Since I received the letter about the reunion, I've done nothing but agonize over this moment, thinking of what we'll say to each other and how things will end." Eri confessed, her eyes sparkling from the tears that were beginning to well up.

" Still, even now, after I've put so much thought into what I was going to say and how I was going to go about it, I can't remember any of it. Like an actor who forgets their lines on opening night. It's pretty sad isn't it." the girl continued, with tears slowly trickling down her cheeks.

Harima shook his head. Frankly, he was surprised by her words. While he had always had a notion that she was interested in him, he had not expected it to be so powerful or passionate. Her head fell for a moment to let out a soft sob. Quickly though, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. Suddenly, she felt the soft cotton texture press against her cheek and gently caress upwards to the corner of her eye.

A few soft strokes to each side of her face cleared up both her tears and the smeared make up. Harima then placed his hand on the side of her face, lifting it gingerly in order to bring her eyes to his. Her mouth parted as if to say something, but he quieted her with a soft smile and a gentle shake of his head, allowing himself the chance to speak.

" I'm surprised. I mean…I kinda thought that you may have had a thing for me back then…but I'm just really surprised that you still feel this way." he said.

She nodded meekly.

" I guess I've never been good at this sort of thing. Maybe that's why I haven't had any good or stable relationships…" Eri stated, in a semi depressing tone. " Every guy I've ever been with turned out to be either an insincere jerk or some kind of phony. I thought once that, with the last guy I was with, I might have actually loved him. Of course, when you happen to see his car at the park in the middle of the night, it lends itself to seem suspicious. It only gets worse when you catch him with another woman…" she finished with an edge of disdain now very prevalent in her voice.

She now reached up and cupped the hand he had pressed softly against her cheek. Eri closed her eyes for a moment and allowed herself to enjoy the contact.

" I guess after that, I just decided to try and focus on my career."

With a sympathetic ear, Harima listened closely to what the young woman began to pour her heart out to him. He felt a faint, yet familiar sense of nostalgia wash over him, remembering all the times they talked, and how open they had always been. As she spoke, he was reminded of how open and honest things typically were, despite how convoluted their situations seemed. Her story didn't sound too much different than his own. As he dropped his hand from her cheek, she let her hand fall with it, and laced her fingers together with his as he prepared to speak.

" Well, you told me about your life. I guess it's only fair I let you in on mine." Harima said with a slight smirk.

His smile was playful, and it lifted Eri's spirits enough to coax a giggle out of her. He dropped his hand from her cheek now that she was no longer in need of it's support, and she let her hand fall along with it, clasping it tightly as he prepared to speak.

" After graduation, I've done nothing with my life. I haven't gone to school, or done anything important. All I did was work, and draw my manga. Really…there wasn't much else to it. It's funny…I spent well over half my time in school trying to win over Tenma, that I almost missed out on everything else. I suppose that if I could go back, I wouldn't change anything…still though…it's kind of embarrassing how hung up on her I was. Do you remember when it was that I was finally able to confess my feelings to Tenma?" he asked her, his face now holding a gentle smile.

" I thought it was about halfway through our third year." Eri responded, picking her brain a bit.

" Yep. I got her on the rooftop and just told her exactly how I felt. Yeah…I know…or knew…she was in love with Karasuma. And that he was actually in love with her. Still, I had to make my case. You know…I wasn't terribly surprised in the end that she had no clue to how I felt. But she was heartfelt about it…so I never regretted anything about it. My feelings, or how it ended. And because of that, I was able to let it go, and move on with me life." he explained. " So I decided I would enjoy my life as a student."

" I wish I could say the same thing. You're a lot stronger than me, Hige." she mused.

The sound of her calling him by that garnered a laugh out of him. Despite being cleanly shaven, that was his name.

" Don't let that fool you. Our lives aren't so different, right down to the failed post high school failed relationships Oujo." he shot back at her, getting a laugh in return. " But after everything, I realized a while back that…there was something else I wanted to say, but never could. Or maybe it was because I thought I didn't want to. Either way, when I look back…you were one of the first people who ever actually acknowledged me in some way. Most of the others feared me, or just wanted to fight. That's nothing. But you? You weren't afraid of me, and you didn't put up with my crap like everyone else."

" I've always been pretty good at guessing how people will react, but when it came to you…I was almost always wrong. When I thought you were pompous and arrogant, you showed me that you could be kind and caring. I was so surprised to find out how poorly you saw yourself that time we had to bunk together during the whole marriage thing. How you depicted yourself as weak, when I only ever saw you being strong. It was such a surprise. You were…someone I had never encountered before. I guess you just had a way of sticking around in the back of my mind…" he finished with a nonchalant shrug.

" You know…I read your manga…" Eri said with allusion.

" You did? What'd you think?" Harima asked, awaiting to hear the tail end of the allusion.

" I thought it was good. Of all the ways to end it, I was surprised as to how you had done it. More so, was that I found your character Airie to be…quite familiar." the woman said with a humorous barb.

" Oh…that…yeah…" Harima said, becoming slightly flustered.

He took a moment to prepare his words carefully

" Well…to be honest, I wasn't sure of what else to do, so I just borrowed more from my high school career and made it a bit more fantastic. The whole idea of Tenma and me had been over, and I didn't want to write something that was a complete lie. Though it's true we never dated, most of the experiences in my manga that occurred really did happen. They just never turned out so romantically. So I decided to write something that was true. Though Hamira was heart broken, he would eventually find out that you don't always get it right the first time, and that it was okay if you didn't. It took me a while to figure it out, but I wanted that to be the final message with that Manga." he spoke, taking a look up to the sky.

" It's my hope that someone, someday, will read that, and take it to heart. Learn that you can always start over, and that sometimes, that special someone is sitting there waiting, right under your nose." Harima finished, looking back down now at Eri.

Eri listened intently and once he finished, the pair took a moment in silence to reflect on each others words. She had still clung tightly to his hands, unsure of what to do or say. Had he confessed his love to her? It sort of sounded like it, but it wasn't terribly clear. She had to ask herself the same thing though. Had she confessed her love? And did she really love him?

_I…I do…don't I? But…it's been so long now…and he's changed a lot. He does still seem like that same gruff but dependable guy that I used to know. But…I…_

Her thoughts were tripping all over themselves in her head as she stared up at him, wishing for a moment of clarity regarding whatever relationship that they had now. A part of her wanted him very badly, and though she wanted to just give into it, she knew that it would turn out disastrous depending on how much had changed between them. He looked a bit unsure of things himself, and so she sucked in a deep breath of air and exhaled heavily, pooling together whatever scrap of pride she had in herself in order to brave the next few words out of her mouth.

" So where do we go from here? To be honest Harima…I care about you. A lot. More than just about anything right now. I don't want to hear a no…but I want to hear something. Even if it is a no." she said straightly.

" To be honest, I'm not completely sure. I know what I want, and I know how I feel with you here right now. I know that I want to hold your hand like this, just a little bit longer. I know that I want to stay with you like this, for just a few more minutes. I also know that I want to see you tomorrow. But I want to take things slow. I'm an old fashioned guy, and it's been a while since we've really seen each other…so I don't want to rush it. But…I do know that it's you I want…and it's you that I've missed." Harima said, looking squarely into Eri's eyes.

A small smile began to spread across her face as a blush touched her cheeks. Her heart had skipped two beats and she gingerly leaned into his chest as they sat on the steps together, hand still in hand. In a smooth motion, their fingers laced together to hold each other more closely, and though a deep yearning for each others touch could be felt through their palms, they simply shared an embrace with an agreement to take things slow.

And there they sat until dawn was calling and the sun began to peek over the horizon. She was the first to stand up, and him right alongside her as they shared a compassionate look towards each other. After the long silence they had maintained in just enjoying each other's warmth, he spoke first.

" I guess it's late. Or early. You mind if I walk you home?" he asked.

" I'd love that, Kenji." she said, reddening at the sound of herself calling him by name.

His smile widened and a noticeable blush was cast over his cheeks at hearing her call him by name for the first time. In hindsight he had done the same to her for a long time, though originally intending to come across as rude, it was now almost simply because it was what he was used to. Still though, he wanted to do the same.

" Then lets get you home, Eri."

Though it wouldn't be a long walk from the school building to her mansion, they cherished each step they took together, with Harima walking tall and Eri hanging tightly onto his arm. As they approached her door, she turned to him.

" Thanks for taking me home. We could have just taken your bike though…" she said, somewhat quizzically.

" Yeah, but then I'd have to let you go a lot sooner. It's not far, so it's cool." he answered, to her elation.

He took her hands and pulled her close to him, planting a soft kiss on her cheek. She looked at him and considered returning him the favor, but pulled away with a coy smile.

" Not on first date Hige. But if you wanna call me later tonight and ask me to dinner…I think I've got some time in my schedule for that." she teased.

" That's what I love about you Oujo. Bossy as ever I see." he laughed.

" Damn straight." she stated with confidence.

They shared another moment with each other, not truly wanting to part but knowing that it had to happen. Finally, he stepped back.

" Then dinner it is. I'll call you later." he said with a grin.

" You better." she called back to him in a jokingly threatening manner as he began to walk off.

She watched him go with a smile on her face and a flutter in her chest, anxious for their dinner tonight, and for everyday that would follow it.

-Epilogue-

" Kenji…" a soft and sweet voice called.

A dark haired man lay face down in his pillow as he tried to sleep. He could hear the voice, and while he wanted to indulge himself with that loving voice, his body told him the story of how he had only gone to bed a couple of hours ago, trying to finish story boards for a deadline.

" Kenji…it's time to wake up…" the voice called again.

" Mmm…just a few more hours…" he grumbled, muffled by his pillow into an inaudible mumble.

There was a few moments of silence, and finally, Harima Kenji had thought that maybe the heavens had blessed him with a few more hours to sleep. However, before he could finally settle back into slumber…

" GET UP HIGE!" the voice shouted, no longer soft or sweet but instead riffed with irritation.

He suddenly found himself on the floor, looking up at the ceiling. The man sat up with a wide yawn and looked over into the bed at the lovely, long haired blonde that was as hot tempered as she was responsible. While he wouldn't be blessed with sleep, he was eternally blessed with this lovely woman as his wife.

" I have to go to work, so you need to make sure the kids get fed and to school on time." Eri said, her voice a little more sweet now.

" Hmmm…yeah…I know…" he said, getting up off the ground.

She was fully dressed and walking out the bedroom door, stopping to take a quick glance back at her husband.

" Better hurry." she said coyly as she walked out.

He was quick to get pants on, grabbing whatever he found that was his on the floor and followed her out. Standing now in their downstairs foyer, she put on a coat and had a small suitcase by her side. He opened the door for her, but before she would be allowed to walk out, he wrapped his arms around her small body, pulling her close.

" I'm gonna miss you baby." he said softly.

" I know. I'll miss you too. Now go take care of our kids." she said smiling.

Still, he refused to let her go, and pressed his lips against hers which was happily received. After another moment, they parted still gazing into each others eyes, hands clasped together, never seeming to lose that spark they both had all those years ago.

" I love you." he said to her, eyes full of honesty.

" And I love you." she said to him, with that genuine smile.


End file.
